Phantom Hunter
by TaeRiNftw
Summary: Aoi (OC) is a semi-former member of the Phantom Troupe. She decided to take the Hunter exam out of sheer boredom. There, she meets new friends and even falls in love with one of them. Along her journey, many obstacles gets in her way and she'll eventually have to make the right decision. Can she do it? [KurapikaxOC] (Note: I ONLY own my OC)
1. Aoi

It's been a while since I took my leave of absence from the Phantom Troupe. I somehow got the courage to tell Chrollo that I wished to travel around on my own for the sake of it.

Surprisingly, he gave me his blessings to leave the group. Or at least I think he did. Who knows what is going on with the bosses mind...

"Oh, there's the ship" I said, walking towards it.

I'm currently at Whale Island boarding a ship that will supposedly take me to the Hunter examination site.

I decided to participate in this exam and get my Hunter's license out of sheer boredom. I don't have a home or a family to go to so I might as well do this.

I guess you could say, back at the Spider's hideout is my 'home' and 'family'. Chrollo accepted me in the group when I was 12.

Now, at age 17, I am ready to explore and seek other opportunities that doesn't revolve around killing. It's something I wish not to do anymore.

Something happened around 3 or 4 years ago that caused me to lose the desire to kill.

It had something to do with assassinating some clan, can't remember the name, and taking their eyes. Chrollo said their eyes were a special treasure. I don't know why, but it was because of that specific event that I lost the desire to kill.

"It's time to move on to Dole Island! Those that don't make it will be left behind and you'll just have to wait next time for the exam!" Shouted the ship captain.

I shook my head, coming out of my daydreaming stance and sat at a corner inside the ship.

I removed my right hand glove that concealed the Spider tattoo with the #4 on it. If I expose my hand, it'll cause trouble and I wouldn't want to deal with a group of angry people. We do have a reputation. It's a good thing our faces aren't recognizable among others.

After a couple of minutes, I felt the ship moving. With that, I got up from the corner and stepped out.

I leaned against the ships' banister and enjoyed the view.

 _"I wonder why it's called 'Whale Island'_ " I thought to myself. " _Is it because the island is shaped like a whale? Well, I guess I kinda see it"_

"Waiiiiit! Don't leave us!" I heard someone shout from the island's dock.

"Yeah! Wait for us!" Said another person from the dock.

There was a total of two people running alongside the islands boarding dock. One was a kid probably around twelve years old. The other was an older guy, probably a few years older than me at least.

"Hey! You'll never make it! We're already moving!" Shouted a man from within the ship.

A group of people crowded around the banister and laughed at the two.

He isn't wrong, those two will never make it. The ship is already moving and we're almost out of reach from the island.

I looked back at the two people running and they looked like they weren't going to give up.

Suddenly, I see the kid reach for something from his back and I see a fishing rod. He swung that thing towards our ship as far as he could.

Surprisingly, the hook of the rod caught onto the ships flag pole and I see the two guys swinging themselves onto our ship.

Everybody took a couple feet back to prevent getting crashed on by the two. They did, however, land onto our boat safely.

I just stood there and watch in amazement.

I'm impressed this kid managed to get on the ship even after we took off. This kid got potential to be a Hunter.

"What is the meaning of this!?" The captain yelled in anger.

With that, everyone dispersed and did their own thing while the captain was speaking to the two guys that just boarded on our ship.

I went back to the same corner and sat there.

I reached in my pocket and took out my cellular phone. It was blinking.

I flipped my phone and checked my messages. I got one from Shalnark. He's the only one I've been keeping in contact with ever since I left.

Shalnark and I use to date in the past but we had a mutual breakup in which we are still able to be close with each other.

 ** _"Hey Aoi. How are you? Bored yet?"_** Shalnark messaged.

 **" _Not really. Currently on my way to take the Hunter's exam."_** Was all I could say.

After a minute, Shalnarked responded.

 _ **"Well, if things don't go well there, you can always come back to us. I'm pretty sure Chrollo would wish for you to come back"**_

I chuckled at his message.

 _Go back to the Spiders huh?_ I thought to myself.

 _ **"As of right now, I'm good. I rather explore and see what else I can do instead of killing and seeking treasures."**_ I replied.

Shalnark responded right after mine.

 _ **"Just giving you options. You know I miss you."**_ He said.

I smiled at his message. _**"Miss you and everyone else too"**_ I replied and closed my phone.

I put my phone back in my pocket and took out my flute.

My flute an instrument I use as well as my main weapon when it comes to fighting. With my nen abilities, I'm able to summon other instruments like the viola, violin, cello and bass with unique skills in each one. I keep all my instruments locked away in my necklace.

I decided to play a couple of melodies to keep the environment soothing for everyone but I was soon interrupted by a big masculine guy who stood in front of me.

"Hey they Missy. What's a pretty young girl like you doing here huh? Taking the Hunter's exam?" Said the big guy.

"Yes. Is there something I can help you with?" I replied coldy.

He smirked.

"Give up already. A pretty cute girl like you will never pass the exam." He respond in a cocky tone.

"Same for you big guy. Even though you look strong, you're probably the weakest one judging how you're going around picking on a small girl like me." I said with a smirk.

There were other people in the room I was in so they all laughed at my remark in which the guy must feel humiliated.

"Oh yeah!?" He shouted. "I'll teach you a lesson for messing with me punk!"

The big guy clenched his fist and tried to throw a punch at me.

I immediately got up and readied myself for the fight but it was soon stopped by another person butting in, gripping on the big guys fist.

This person happens to be the older gentleman that was with the kid earlier when they tried to get onto the ship.

"Excuse me, but you have no right to treat a young lady like that. Got it? Now go and get lost!"

The older gentleman, still gripping onto the other guys' fist, twisted it so hard you could practically tell it was almost broken.

"Ouch! My arm!" Shouted the big masculine guy. "You'll regret that!"

With that, the guy held onto his arm and walked away.

I put my flute away and patted the dirt off my pants.

"Uhm..thank you sir." I said awkwardly. I never needed the help. I could've beaten that guy up alone.

"No problem ma'am. Are you alright?" said the older guy.

"Yeah I'm fine. I actually could've taken him on alone" I said quietly.

"Leorio that was cool!" Shouted the kid from earlier as he walked towards us.

"Leorio? That's your name?" I asked

"Indeed. What about your name pretty lady?" Leorio asked with a wink.

"Ugh. Don't call me 'pretty lady'. It's Aoi" I said with a groan. This guy is probably a flirt.

"Ah. Aoi. What a nice name. My name's Gon." Said the kid, flashing a grin.

"Nice to meet you Gon." I said with a smile. "You know, I watched the two of you hop on this ship through that fishing rod. I was pretty impressed with those skills Gon."

"Eh? Oh, well it's my father's fishing rod. It's a pretty tough one since it could hold mine and Leorio's weight together." Gon said with a chuckle.

"That reminds me, I realized there aren't that much women I see on this ship participating for the Hunter's exam. You'e one of the few I see Aoi." Leorio said.

"So? Does that matter?" I asked confused.

"Not really. Just curious. What's your reason for obtaining a Hunter's license?" He asked me.

"Me? Well..." I trailed off. "Let's just say I want to get my Hunter license out of sheer boredom. I'm technically exploring and seeking opportunities I can find."

"Wow. I never heard of anyone wanting to get their license out of boredom." Gon said amazed.

"Yeah, what about you Gon? What's your reason?" I asked.

"Well, My dad is supposedly a legendary Hunter. I never really got to meet him after I was born. He was never home. So I wish to become a Hunter so that I can find him one day." Gon said, clenching onto his fishing rod.

"Cool story. What is your father's name? If you don't mind me asking." I asked curious.

"His name is Gin Freaks" Gon answered.

"Gin Freaks?" I questioned.

I know that name. Chrollo mentioned him once when I started joining the Phantom Troupe. He was someone the Boss was interested in fighting with, as well as steal his nen abilities. I can't believe I am meeting and getting acquainted with Gin's son.

"What about you Leorio? What's your reason?" I asked, shaking off my thoughts.

"Easy. I'm here for the money and women" I he slyly with a laugh.

"What?" I said in disgust. "That's the most dumbest reason I've ever heard"

Leorio stopped laughing and looked at me.

"I'm kidding. I'm actually here to become a doctor. I studied medical health and wish to become a licensed Doctor with a Hunter's pass" He said.

"That's sounds more reasonable than money and women" Said a third voice.

I looked around to see who joined our conversation and noticed a slender guy, blue and white garment and dirty blonde hair walking towards us.

"What? Can't take a joke?" Leorio said towards the new face.

"It's no reason to joke around for the Hunter's exam" Said the new face

"Oh yeah? What about you wise guy? What's your reason for coming here?" Leorio said annoyed.

"My reason is none of your concern. I rather keep it private" New face replied then looked at me.

I couldn't help to blush slightly. I noticed that he was a bit handsome.

"You're name is Aoi right?" He said.

"Uh..y-yeah..." I said quietly. "Yours?"

"My name is Kurapika" He answered. "I came to see if you were alright. You must be overwhelmed to be surrounded by a group of men here"

Kurapika gave me a small smile and I could feel my face getting hot. He seems like a really nice guy.

"I-I'm fine. Leorio and Gon aren't bothering me. It was the other guy that bothered me. But everything is good now." I smiled back.

"We are now docking onto Dole Island! Watch your step!" Shouted the captain as he dropped the anchor.

"Alright! Dole Island! Time for the Hunter Exam!" Gon shouted in excitement.

"Let's get on with it then" Leorio said as we all prepare to step off the ship.

* * *

As soon as we stepped off the ship, we were instructed to go and find a place called 'Zaban City'. The only way to get there is through a certain location that contains a really tall tree.

We took a look around and noticed that there was a good amount of people here, meaning it's a bit over crowded.

"Sheesh, there's too many people here." Leorio said

"That's because it's the Hunters exam! We're all excited!" Gon screamed in joy.

"How will we get to Zaban City?" I asked.

"I guess we could check a map?" Kurapika answered with a question.

I noticed that we all somehow grouped together.

So we all checked a nearby map and noticed that the mentioned tree is within the mountain like path.

"I just overheard a couple of people saying that there's an express bus that will lead us to Zaban City. Probably a better way than cutting through some dumb tree." Leorio said.

"Hm? But I think passing by that tall tree would be better" Gon said

"What? Are you serious? Come on, taking that bus would be a better option" Leorio said.

"I'm not gonna take it. I'm going to the tree" Gon said as he walked away.

"Suit yourself! What about you guys?" Leorio said, looking at Kurapika and I.

"Sorry Leorio, I also think taking that bus is not a good idea. Something suspicious about it. I'm going to join Gon in searching for that tree" I said and waved him off.

"Same here" Kurapika said cooly and walked alongside with me.

"Fine then! See you three at Zaban City!" Leorio shouted and stomped away.

With that, the three of us headed towards the mountain path meanwhile Leorio is off taking a bus that will probably take him to nowhere.

The three of us were silent. It's basically Kurapika and I following Gon. It looks like Gon is sniffing around like a dog which is oddly peculiar.

"I'm assuming you caught an interest in Gon as well?" Kurapika whispered to me quietly.

"Huh?" I looked at him confused.

"I mean, you're interested in knowing what Gon's capable of also right?" He said

"Yeah." I answered in agreement. "Gon sure is an interesting kid"

"Hey guys! I think we should go and collect some herbs" Gon said

"Herbs? For what?" I asked.

"Well, just in case any of us gets injured. It will heal us well" Gon said, scratching his cheek.

"I guess we can do that" Kurapika said. "We can split up. It'll get the job done faster"

"Alright! Let's all meet up at that giant rock when we're done" Gon said, pointing at a nearby rock.

With that, the three of us split up in search for herbs.

It seems very tedious to do this but I have no complaints. Gon sure does make a good point. There is a possibility of anyone getting injured from this exam. It's obviously not going to be easy.

After a couple minutes of collecting, I headed back to the gigantic rock Gon mentioned and saw that no one was there yet.

I gently placed the herbs on the ground and took out my flute to play some melodies for this quiet environment.

Playing my instruments are always a good way to keep myself occupied if I'm alone.

 _*rustle* *rustle*_

"Who's there?" I said, alerted from the sound.

There was some noises coming from a bush and I stood back, ready to right whoever or whatever is coming.

 _*rustle*_

 _*rustle*_

 _*rustle*_

Someone popped out from the bush and I was about to attack them.

"Woah! Aoi!" It was Leorio.

"Leorio!?" I said surprised.

I quickly put my flute away. Good thing I didn't attack him.

"What are you doing here?" I questioned him.

"Well...turns out that bus was actually a trap. I tried to follow you guys here but I got lost." Leorio said, ashamed at his mistake.

"Oi. Leorio, you're back" Gon said as he walked back towards us.

"Yeah." He said quietly.

"I see you noticed that bus was a trap?" Kurapika said.

"Yeah I got it! Don't need to hear it from you" Leorio said annoyed.

"Awesome. We collected enough herbs. Let's continue heading towards the tree. I actually spotted it so we're not far from it" Gon said as he stashed the herbs in his backpack and started walking.

Without any hesitation, the rest of us followed him.

We eventually made out way to the Tall tree that the captain mentioned. Past the tall tree was a small passageway in which we went through.

Pass that passageway ended up being a small abandoned town like area.

It was awfully quiet and very creepy at the same time.

"It's too quiet" I said in a whisper.

"I agree. Something doesn't seem right" Kurapika said in agreement.

"Did you see that?" Gon said.

"See what?" Leorio questioned.

"That" Gon said ponting at a small figure clothed in white and wearing a mask.

Within a couple of seconds, we ended being surrounded by more people dressed in white and wearing colorful masks.

We all took a fighting stance. Ready to fight if we have to.

I don't know what is going on, but they are getting in our way towards the examination site.


	2. A New Member

Surrounded by a bunch of people dressed in white and wearing colorful masks. That's something you don't see everyday.

"W-What the hell is this!?" Leorio shouted. "Move out the way or you'll get punched!"

Leorio was putting up his fist to intimidate the group but they didn't move a budge.

Within the enormous crowd, there was a elderly lady, not clothed the same way, coming out and walking towards us.

"She must be the leader out of this entire group" Gon said quietly.

The elderly lady gave a short laugh as she looked at each of us.

"I see there are four of you here. How interesting." She said

"What's so interesting about seeing us here old lady?" Leorio said in annoyance.

"Let's just say, in order for you to pass through my little town, you must first pass my quiz" The elder lady said with a creepy grin.

"We'll take your quiz" Kurapika said without any hesitation.

"What!? Are you insane Kurapika!? This could be a trick!" Leorio shouted.

"Hm..well I want to take the quiz too" Gon said shyly.

"Well, what can go wrong with a few questions." I said, shrugging my shoulders

"Tch. Fine. Do whatever you want." Leorio said with a sigh.

The elder lady looked at each of us and nodded.

"First question, Your mother and love are trapped in two separate rooms. They are about to be eaten by a pack of wolves. With the little amount of time you have left, you're only able to save one of them. Who would you save? Your mother or love?"

 _That's our question!?_ I thought to myself. _How on earth do you expect us to answer that?_

"You all have five seconds to answer" Said the elder lady.

I looked at Gon and Kurapika and they stayed quiet. The look on their faces showed that they figured something out.

I for one can't seem to understand this quiz. I'm not really the type of person that has an interest in puzzles or mind boggling questions.

"Okay. Final question." The old lady started saying.

"Wait, what about our previous question?" Leorio asked.

The elder lady ignored Leorio and continued her question.

"Your brother and sister are hanging onto the edge of the cliff. They are on the verge of falling. Once again, you can only save one. Who would you save? Your brother or sister?" She asked.

I still don't understand this quiz. If she moved on to the final question, then we must've gotten the first one correct. The only thing is, we were quiet the whole time.

Is silence the answer?

"The hell with this!" Leorio shouted. "I'm sick of your dumb questions! Just let us pass!"

Leorio moved forward and was about to attack the elder lady.

"Leorio! No!" I shouted as I jumped in front of the elder lady and blocked his punch.

"Move out of the way Aoi! I'm tired of these ridiculous questions!" Leorio screamed

"If you just shut up for two more seconds then she'll let us through!" I screamed back

We were silent for those two seconds.

"I presume we pass this then old lady?" Kurapika asked.

The elder lady had a serious look at first but then changed to a smile.

"Indeed you pass"

"Huh? What? What just happened?" Leorio said in confusion.

I let go of his arm and he fixed up his suit and tie.

"Silence was the answer all along. Right Gon?" Kurapika said as he looked at Gon.

"Yeah." Gon replied, shaking his head.

"I assumed silence was the answer when I noticed that the two of you didn't say anything. I still don't understand why it was the answer though. I was just following you" I said with a cheesy smile.

"Well, I was actually following Gon. I knew he must've known the answer and followed his silence as well." Kurapika said.

"Oh. That was because I heard faint screaming up ahead after the old granny said her first question. I had a feeling that those answers will probably lead us to our deaths. So I just thought staying quiet would be the best answer" Gon said

I looked at that kid in amazement. I didn't even hear anything. Gon sure is an interesting character.

"This is still dumb" Leorio said in annoyance.

"You may still hit me if you wish." Said the elder lady.

"No. I won't waste my time hitting a woman. Plus there is a line that shall not be crossed." Leorio said.

"Good choice Leorio. You almost crossed it earlier. Good thing Aoi stopped you" Kurapika said.

"Shut it" Leorio said as he huffed his nostrils and looked away.

"By the way Granny," Gon started. "Are you working with the Hunter association?"

"Indeed I am" She said as he flashed us her license badge. "I am one of the proctors and you passed one of the preliminary test"

"Wow, that's awesome" I said with a smile.

"Now that we passed, can you please lead us the way to the examination site?" Kurapika said.

"Yes. We will take you through a long, dark tunnel. You'll have to cross through there and follow the signs. By following the signs, there will be a married couple who will help you navigate to the examination site." she said.

"Wow. Thank you very much Granny" Gon said as he bowed towards the lady.

We all bowed to her as well. The elder lady and the group of villagers in white lead us to the entrance of the dark tunnel.

"It should take you a few hours to get through the tunnel. Don't forget to follow the signs. I wish you all good luck." She said and bowed to us.

We bowed once again.

Gon fixed up his backpack and took a running position.

"I'll race you guys to the end of the tunnel!" He screamed.

With that, Gon headed off with Leorio running after him.

"Oi! Gon! You're cheating! You didn't even give us time to prepare!" Leorio shouted as he tried to catch up with Gon.

I couldn't help but to laugh. They sure are funny.

"Well Aoi, we should catch up as well or else we'll fall behind" Kurapika said as he smiled towards me.

"R-Right" I said with a slight blush.

With that, Kurapika and I started running after Gon and Leorio.

* * *

It took us about 3 hours to completely get out of that tunnel. We took a few minutes to catch our breath.

"Phew. Well, that was fun. Right guys?" Gon said smiling.

"Awh man. That sure was a work out" Leorio said with a tired voice.

We looked at our new surroundings and noticed that we're by a lake.

"A lake? Are we supposed to swim our way there?" Leorio questioned

"I don't think so. Remember that old lady mentioned that there was going to be a married couple that will navigate us." Kurapika said.

"Oh yeah. But where are they?" Gon asked.

I looked past the tunnel and noticed a small boat, just the right size to hold the four of us.

"Hey guys, there's a boat ahead of us. Maybe we can use it to make our way through the lake." I said

"Good idea Aoi. Let's be careful though. There might be a trap somewhere close to us" Kurapika said

We made our way onto the tiny boat and we took turns with the oar. There were signs saying ' **beware of beast ahead** ' around the lake. I'm pretty sure those are the signs we're told to follow.

We eventually went straight ahead to the other end of the lake and came upon a small cabin. We walked towards the cabin and noticed two people, a man and a woman, sitting at the front porch.

"Welcome. You four must be here for the Hunter's exam" The woman said with a smile.

"Yes we are. You must be the married couple that old lady said earlier. Can you take us there?" Leorio asked.

"We will take you there but first, you must help us with something." Said the man.

"What do you want us to help you with?" I asked.

"If you've seen the sign while coming here, we need you to take care of the beast for us." The woman said.

"Yes. If you can help us get rid of this beast, then we will help you navigate to Zaban City." said the man.

I felt my necklace shaking every time the married couple spoke. There is something about them that seems suspicious.

"We will help you get rid of this beast." Kurapika said

"Thank you very much" The married couple said with a bow.

"Do you know where we can find this beast?" Gon asked.

"Yes. The beast is usually flying around the lake. So you will have to get back on the boat to search for it." Said the woman.

There! My necklace definitely reacted to that last statement. It's actually my bass reacting. She's lying.

"Okay. Back to the boat it is" Leorio said as he started walking towards it.

"Wait guys" I said

"Something wrong Aoi?" Kurapika asked.

With my nen, I summoned my Bass guitar from my necklace.

"Can you repeat where that beast would be?" I asked the couple.

"Uh...the beast is located somewhere around the lake. You would need to get back on the boat to search for it." Said the man.

I felt the strings on my bass reacting.

"You're lying" I said.

"Huh? What are you talking about Aoi? And what's with that guitar?" Leorio asked.

"Sorry, I should explain myself" I said. "This bass guitar is my source of lie detector. The strings on my guitar would vibrate whenever someone is lying. As you can see, my guitar is reacting to that last statement. Which means they are lying."

I looked at the married couple. They don't seem worried at all.

"Would sending us back on the boat lead us to our death?" I asked seriously.

They were silent at first but the husband was the first to talk.

"You're correct." He said.

"Wow! Nice catch Aoi." Gon said.

"So if taking that boat will lead to death, where the hell is the beast!?" Leorio shouted

"It is possible that maybe, the two of you are actually the beast." Kurapika said looking at me with my guitar.

Nice one. Kurapika knows that my guitar will react if they lie.

The couple were silent again. This time, the wife responded.

"I guess we can't lie our way out of this. You are right. We are the beasts." She said.

Within a few seconds, both husband and wife transformed into a fox like winged beast.

We all took a fighting stance with me putting my bass guitar away and taking my flute out instead.

"Don't worry. We will not fight. The four of you passed this part of the exam." The man said with a smile.

"Eh? We passed?" Leorio said in confusion.

"Yes. If you went back on that boat, you would've had automatic fail. It's thanks to this young lady for catching our lie." The woman, glancing towards me.

"It's all thanks to my guitar" I said, patting my necklace with pride.

"That necklace is your weapon?" Leorio asked.

"Yeah. I can summon certain instruments with it. They each have unique specialties so it's pretty useful" I said with a smile.

"That's really cool" Gon said.

I nod my head and continued to smile.

"Now that you all passed this part of the test, We will now take you to Zaban City." The woman said.

"How are you taking us there?" Kurapika asked.

"Flying of course" The man said as he spread his wings. "We'll each take two of you."

Leorio and Gon was with the woman and Kurapika and I grabbed onto the husband and they flew us to Zaban city.

As we were flying towards Zaban City, Kurapika started a conversation with me.

"You made a good call earlier. I had a feeling something was suspicious as well but you beat me to it" Kurapika said with a smile.

His smile was very charming. I couldn't help but to look away and blush.

"T-Thanks. I was just following whatever my instrument was reacting to." I said with a nervous laugh.

"I can tell you must be a pretty strong girl. I would love to see more of your skills Aoi" He said with another smile.

I feel my face getting hot.

 _What is this strange feeling I have towards Kurapika? I only met this guy a couple of hours ago. It's a different feeling than when I was with Shalnark._

That reminds me, Kurapika still hasn't explained his reason for taking the Hunter's exam.

I guess it must be something really private that he hasn't trusted to tell us yet which is understandable.

"We've arrived to Zaban City. There is the building where you'll need to sign in." Said the man as we landed in front of the building.

"Thank you very much for the help" Gon said.

"You're welcome. Good luck to the four of you" Said the lady.

The couple bowed and and took off as we waved our 'goodbye' to them.

* * *

We went through the buildings entrance and walked up to the front desk.

"Welcome to the Hunter's Association exam. Would you all kindly please register your names" The receptionist said with a smile.

We all signed in and received a pin with numbers on each one.

"These pins are your assigned numbers throughout the entire exam. Please wear them at all times so that the association will know who you are." Said the receptionist.

We placed our pins on our shirts as we looked at each other's numbers. Our numbers went from 403-406:

Gon was 405, Leorio 403 and Kurapika 404. My number was 406.

The receptionist led us to an elevator and we rode it straight to the bottom of the building.

As we exited the elevator, we entered a cave like room that was filled with other candidates for the exam.

"Wow, There's so many people here." Gon said in excitement.

"I wonder how many of us will fail this exam" Leorio said.

"Come on Leorio. Don't be so negative" I said lightly punching his arm.

"Aren't I right though?" Leorio asked

"You are but keep a positive attitude will ya?" I said with a chuckle.

Suddenly I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket and saw that there's a call from Shalnark.

"Excuse me for a second. I gotta pick up this call" I said, motioning my phone.

"Alright. But don't go too far" Kurapika said.

I nodded my head and walk a couple feet away from them so they were out of ear reach.

"Hello? Shal? What's up?" I said as I picked up the call.

"Aoi? I have something important to tell you." Shalnark said, sounding urgent.

"What is it? Did something happen with the group?" I asked worried.

"No, we're fine." He said reassuringly. "I just want to tell you that Chrollo had found your replacement without our knowledge and already sent him on an assignment."

"So? What does that have to do with me?" I asked, unsure of what's going on.

"Well, the thing is, I didn't get to see him. I was on a a separate assignment when Chrollo found him. But this assignment was to take the Hunter's exam, find you and bring you back to the Troupe." He said

I stood there in shock.

 _Find me and bring me back? I don't want to come back. I'm content with my exploration adventure. Why does Chrollo want me back?_

"Shal, I don't get it. Didn't Chrollo let me leave the group? Why does he suddenly want me back?" I asked, confused as to why this is happening now.

"He told me that we're gonna have a very big job to do in a couple of months and you are needed for the job." Shal answered.

"What job is that?" I asked.

"Not sure. He said he'll let us know when you come back." He said.

"But what if I don't want to come back?" I said, annoyed.

 _If it involves killing, I refuse to do it._

"I heard Chrollo mention that there will be a chance of you resisting. That's why he immediately sent the new guy to find you. He knows you're taking the Hunter exam. He may want to bring you back by force in all means necessary. So please be careful Aoi." Shalnark said.

 _It would be by force if I say no. Why must Chrollo make my life difficult right now._

"Well, what is my replacement's name?" I asked

"Oh right. His name is-" The line went dead.

"Hello? Hello? Shalnark? Shal?" I repeated on the phone.

I looked at my screen and realized that I lost connection down here.

"Damn..." I whispered as I hung up the phone and placed it back in my pocket.

I walked back to the guys as Kurapika was the first one to greet me.

"Is something wrong Aoi?" He asked

"No. Everything's fine" I said with a small smile.

"Who were you talking to on the phone?" Gon asked.

"An old friend of mine." I answered.

"You sure it's not a boyfriend?" Leorio said with a cheesy smile.

"No you idiot!" I shouted and knocked his head.

One of the elevator doors opened and there was a man with lavender hair and a curly mustache that entered the room.

"Welcome to the Hunter's association exam. We will officially begin phase one of the exam shortly. Let me explain one thing, if you're unable to catch up or think you're not capable of doing this, you may leave now before it's too late." Said the lavender haired man.

No one moved an inch.

"I see. We shall start the first phase. Would you all please follow me through those doors. We will be crossing Zaban City underground."

With that, two gigantic wooden doors opened and the lavender haired man started walking along with other examiners following him.

"Let's go guys! It's starting!" Gon shrieked in excitement.

"Time to do this!" Leorio said, excited as well.

"Well, let's follow this man" Kurapika said.

I nodded my head and we all started to follow along.

I felt nervous. I couldn't get the thoughts of my phone call with Shal off my mind.

Someone within this group is here on an assignment to find and me possibly bring me back to the Spiders.

I don't even know how that is going to happen as well as if I want to go back.

Walking a bit behind from the rest, I looked at Gon, Leorio and Kurapika.

I sure hope none of them are the ones Chrollo asked to replace me.


	3. Miss?

We've been following the lavender haired man for a few hours and he still hasn't introduced himself.

"Why are we just walking?"

"Are we even going to take the actual exam?"

"Who the hell is this guy?"

"Come one, what is with all this walking. It's tiresome."

"Are we going to fight or what?"

Those were some complaints I've been hearing among the crowd as we continued walking/following this man.

How annoying.

"Sorry for the late introduction" The lavender haired man finally spoke as he stopped walking. "My name is Satotsu. I am the proctor for Phase One of the Hunter's exam. There are 406 of you participating today. We will start the real deal now. Please follow along."

With that, instead of walking Satotsu started running, like really running, at a really fast pace!

"W-What the hell!?" Leorio shouted. "This guys' pretty damn fast!"

We all quickly fixed our pace and ran as fast as we could to catch up with Satotsu.

"First we were walking, now we're running. I guess all that running we did earlier paid off." I said with a chuckle.

"Yeah. I find running fun." Gon said with a smile.

"I don't find this fun! We're probably gonna be tired soon." Leorio said.

"Well this is the first part of the exam. I guess they're trying to test our stamina." Kurapika said, unsure.

* * *

After another few hours, many participants were collapsing one by one from exhaustion. I maneuvered my way around the unconscious bodies to prevent myself from tripping.

Just ahead of us, I noticed a kid riding his skateboard to follow Satotsu. That's smart.

"Look! He's using a skateboard!" Gon shouted towards us.

"Hey kid!" Leorio screamed running alongside the kid. "That's cheating! Using a skateboard while the rest of us are running!"

"Huh? Cheating?" The kid questioned. "How am I cheating? He said 'follow me', so I am. He didn't say running only."

"He does have a point Leorio." Kurapika said

"Pft. Whatever." Leorio responded.

"Hey. You seem cool. What's your name? How old are you?" Gon asked the kid.

"Gon! Stop making friends with whoever you meet!" Leorio shouted at Gon.

"But I like making friends" Gon pouted.

"Lighten up Leorio." I said, glaring at Leorio. "What is your name?"

"You guys sure are weird." The kid whispered.

"Well, My name's Gon. I'm twelve years old" Gon said with a smile.

"Eh? Twelve? Say, how about you old man?" He said, looking towards Leorio.

"W-What!? Me!? Old man!? Just so you know, I'm 20 years old!" Leorio shouted.

"Really!?" Gon and the new kid shouted.

"Do I look older to you!?" Leorio screamed.

They both nodded their head and laugh.

I couldn't help but to laugh to.

"Sorry Leorio, but I thought you were older as well." I said, still laughing.

"Agree." Kurapika said, nodding his head.

"Huh!? Really!?" You too Aoi?" Leorio said in disappointment.

"Sorry!" I said with a cheesy smile. "Well at least your three years older than me. So you're not THAT old."

"You're 17 Miss Aoi?" said the new kid.

I was caught by surprise.

"M-Miss? And yes. I'm 17." I stuttered.

"Cool" said the new kid

With that, he sped up with his skateboard and reached to the front of the group.

Being called 'Miss' threw me off guard.

There's something about that label that seems strangely familiar.

It feels like I've been called 'Miss' before but it's leaving an uneasy feeling for me. I just don't know why.

"You know Aoi..." Kurapika talked, disrupting my thoughts. "We're the same age."

"Eh?" I blinked rapidly at him. "You're 17 as well?"

"Yes" He nodded. "Well, I guess this is a nice fun fact for us to learn about each other"

Kurapika gave me another one of his charming smile.

I couldn't help but to blush.

I happen to find Kurapika a very charming, handsome guy.

 _Why am I feeling that way?_

"Oof!" Leorio made a grunt as he fell to the ground.

"Leorio!" Gon shouted as he rushed to his side.

"Are you okay?" I asked, kneeling beside him.

"I'm fine" He said, catching his breath. "I'm just tired. That's all."

"Come on Leorio. We need to continue running." Kurapika said, lifting Leorio off the ground.

"I'm so tired man. How long have we been running?" Leorio said, ready to be defeated.

"I don't really know. We've probably been running for a couple of hours now." I said.

"Awh man. I don't think I can continue. I lost all my stamina." Leorio said, still trying to catch his breath.

"No Leorio." Gon said with determination. "I won't let you give up."

With that, Gon wrapped his arm around Leorio and started dragging him along his side.

"What are you doing Gon?" Leorio asked

"I'm not letting you give up and fail the Hunter Exam!" Gon shouted. "I'm going to help you pass this test"

"I agree. We'll be terrible friends if we leave you behind Leorio." I said

 _Huh. I called each of us 'friends'._

"Don't worry Leorio. We're almost there." Kurpaika said.

"Thank you guys. I owe all of you." Leorio said with a tired smile.

We all looked at each other and smiled towards one another.

"Out of the way! Slowpokes like you shouldn't even take this exam!"

Out of nowhere, one of the participants came running ahead and shoved me.

I fell to the ground, butt first.

"Ouch...Hey you jerk. Watch where you're going!" I shouted towards the person that pushed me.

Unfortunately, that person was long gone. Only laughed and moved forward.

"Aoi, are you okay?" Kurapika asked, concerned.

"Yeah. I guess I'm fine. Nothing seems hurt so I should be good." I said with a faint smile.

"Jeez, that guy was mean." Gon said with a frown.

"Just wait till I get my hands on him." Leorio said with his fist pointing at the direction ahead.

"That guy was a jerk. If I see him again, maybe I'll give him a beating or two." I said.

Kurapika lend me his hand and helped me up.

I brushed the dirt off my bottoms as we continued running.

"Are you okay Miss Aoi?" The new kid asked.

He skateboarded back to us, hopped off and started running with me.

 _Again with the 'Miss'. Why does it make me feel so uneasy?_

"I'm fine. You don't need to run with us you know." I said

"It's okay. I want to run with you guys" He said. "Why do you want to be a Hunter?"

"Uhm. Well, I'm taking it out of boredom." I said. "What about you?"

"Same reason." He answered and then looked towards Gon. "By the way, my name is Killua and I'm thirteen."

"Ah! That's awesome!" Gon said with a huge grin while still holding onto Leorio.

"We're almost at the exit!" Satotsu shouted. "Time to pick up the pace!"

With that, Satotsu actually sped up his running and we all tried to catch up with him.

It practically feels like we're running at 120% with as little rest as possible.

* * *

After another half hour or so, we finally reached to the exit and reached to an outdoor environment area.

"Finally! We're out of that stupid underground tunnel!" Leorio screamed in joy.

Gon let go of Leorio as he sat by a nearby tree and rest.

"It's about time we get out of that hell hole." I said with a sigh.

"That was actually pretty tiring. I'm surprised we completed that task without any failure." Kurapika said.

We all took a couple of minutes to catch our breaths until Satotsu had our attention to discuss on the next part.

"Before we head to Phase two of the exam. We will have to cross through Numele Swamp which is just ahead of us. Be careful though, this swamp is full of traps and dangerous creatures. If you get caught in these traps, then consider yourself dead." Satotsu said.

I noticed a couple of amateurs around us looking scared.

"Since I don't see anyone asking questions, we can continue moving. Please follow me."

Satotsu was just about to run off towards the lake until a random stranger approached him.

"Wait!" The stranger shouted. "This man is lying! He is a fake! I'm the real proctor!"

We were all confused. I can even hear whispers going on among the group.

"Hey, what is going on?" Leorio asked.

"No clue." Kurapika said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Apparently, someone is a fake" Gon said

"Whatever it is that is going on, it's a waste of time." I said.

Seriously, who is this stranger and why is he in the way of our exam? Is this another trick for us to figure out?


	4. Hisoka

"Don't trust him! He's a fake! An impostor!" Shouted the random stranger.

Everyone looked around in confusion.

Who is this guy and why is he claiming that Satotsu is an impostor?

"A fake?" Gon asked while looking at Satotsu

"Heh. I don't know what's going on but I want an explanation! Show us some proof if you're the real proctor!" Leorio cracked his knuckles while shouting.

"Here's your proof!" The questionable man dragged a human faced monkey and threw it to the ground.

"This beast right here steals faces from us humans! He most likely stole another examiners face and is going to kill you all!"

"What? that's ridiculous" I whispered to myself. "There is no way someone like Satotsu would be a fake for this exam. I just don't believe it"

I really don't. This sounds like a waste of my time.

"Well what if this is part of the exam Aoi?" Gon stated.

"Is it? It's pretty pointless to be part of the exam" Kurapika said as I nodded my head in agreement.

"Believe me!" the man exclaimed. "This beast attacked me from behind and stole my Hunter license card!"

That is definitely a lie! There is no way in hell does a **licensed** Hunter would easily get their card stolen.

That's just plain ridiculous.

This guy is obviously playing on everyone and wasting our time.

Even Satotsu himself looked bored.

"Let's play a game" said a voice within the crowd.

Coming out of the crowd was an older man dressed like a clownish joker.

He stood a good distance between Satotsu and the stranger.

"Can you dodge this?" asked the Joker.

He took out a couple of cards from a deck he was holding and threw them at each person.

Satotsu dodged the cards with ease while the other guy was killed in an instant.

I looked at the Joker and he had a smile of a cold blooded killer.

It gave me goosebumps. He showed no empathy towards the impostor he just killed.

"Now we know who the real proctor is. Am I right?" The Joker said as he pointed at Satotsu.

"Indeed I am." Satotsu nodded his head.

"Well why the heck did you have to attack both of them!?" Leorio shouted.

"It makes this silliness end a lot faster. A Hunter would've blocked my attack easily." Joker yawned in boredom.

"I will take that as a compliment" Satotsu said with a bow.

"Just so you know, if you have an act of violence towards me again, I will disqualify from the exam. Do I make myself clear?" Satotsu said with a serious tone.

"I understand" The Joker said as he walked back into the crowd.

I looked around and some people were looking at him in fear.

There is something about this man that doesn't feel right to me. I feel a very strange aura around him.

"Well that was interesting. Right Miss Aoi?" said Killua

"Yeah. It was obvious that Satotsu was the real examiner." I looked at Leorio and he looked confused.

"I don't get it, how was it obvious?" Leorio questioned.

"The moment the stranger said his license was stolen. You're so stupid Leorio" Kurapika sighed.

"You wanna fight!?" Leorio had his fist towards Kurapika.

"No I'm just saying you don't have common sense" Kurapika retorted

Leorio was about to say something but it was interrupted by Satotsu clearing his throat.

Everyone stopped the commotion and looked at him.

"Since we lost some time from that nonsense, we shall continue at a faster speed" With that, Satotsu started running at a faster pace.

"Great, running again" Leorio said

We all started running again but this time at a faster pace.

We were running through the muddy swamp but the thickness of the fog was making it difficult to catch up with Satotsu.

Leorio and Kurapika were running behind again so I started to run slower to stick with them.

I noticed that Killua and Gon were way ahead of us.

Gon turned around and motioned his hand, telling us to keep up.

"This nasty swamp is tiring me out." Leorio said while panting.

"Come on Leorio. Gon is telling us to catch up." I said.

"I'm trying but I'm just too tired." He said

"This fog isn't helping us also" Kurapika said as he looked around our surrounding. "It's almost as if this fog is preventing us from seeing anyone."

Kurapika was right.

Within a few minutes, the fog thickened up to the point where it completely blocked our view of anyone ahead of us.

We're basically stuck in this swamp with no exit.

"Ahh!" Screams were heard around the area.

Many people who disappearing left and right until I finally noticed that it was just three of us and young guy around my age with a bow and arrow.

"Look out!" Kurapika screamed as he pushed Leorio to the side.

There, a bunch of cards flew right past them with one card giving a scratch to Leorio's cheek.

"Cards?" I questioned.

They were familiar. It belonged to the Joker from earlier today.

"Ladies and Gentleman!" The Joker said within a short distance from the fog. "I am the great magician, Hisoka!"

Joker, now known as Hisoka, emerged from the fog as he was waving around more deadly cards.

He had an evil grin on his face. The same grin that sent shivers down the back of my neck.

Never in my life have I ever sensed some sort of fear and this is the first time.

Not even Chrollo scares me. Just Hisoka.

"W-why are you doing this Hisoka? Why you are trying to kill us?" I questioned him. Trying not to let him show the fear on my face.

"I got bored of this exam. So I felt like playing Proctor" With that, Hisoka threw more cards towards us as we all dodged them.

The kid with the bow and arrow kneel down and whispered to us.

"I'm going to send a signal and that will make all of us split up. That way we can get away from him and warn everyone else." He said.

"I agree. This guy is dangerous" Kurapika said with nodded.

"Good plan to me" Leorio agreed.

"When do we split up?" I asked.

"Now!" said the young man.

We all ran separate ways as I turned around to see if Hisoka was following any of us.

 _Good thing he wasn't._

He was just standing there with that grin still on his face.

As I ran farther and farther away from Hisoka, I had a weird feeling in my gut.

My gut was telling me to turn around and go back to Hisoka.

I don't know why I felt that way but I did.

I swiftly turned around and ran back to where Hisoka was.

It was good thing though. I can see Leorio and Hisoka fighting.

Why does it always have to be Leorio causing trouble?

"Leorio! What are you doing!?" I yelled.

"I wanted to take him down before he can hurt anyone else!" Leorio said as he kept throwing punches at Hisoka

Hisoka was dodging Leorio's punches easily.

"I see your friend came back to save you. How pitiful" With that, Hisoka picked up Leorio and threw him to the ground hard.

Leorio landed face first to the ground and was knocked out.

"Leorio!" I shouted out to him

Before I could run to him, I see Hisoka running straight at me!

I froze in my spot.

 _My God, he's fast. What do I do?_

Without thinking, I turned around and ran the other direction to get away from him.

I could feel something thrown towards me from behind.

I quickly took out my flute, turned around and blocked them.

That distracted my sight of Hisoka as I furiously looked around for him.

I turned around and there was Hisoka, right in front of me.

"Boo" Hisoka said in a playful tone.

He grabbed my face and looked deep into my eyes.

I couldn't move. My body was trembling in fear.

"L-Let...go!" I yelled as I tried to move away but with no use.

"You have such a cute face" said Hisoka. "Too bad I'm only here under order to find you and bring you back"

My eyes widened.

 _Chrollo sent this guy? Hisoka? This guy can actually kill me right now if he wants too!_

"Y-You? You're t-the o-one?" I said, stuttering.

"Indeed I am. He said I can bring you back. Even if it means I have to force you" His facial expression went from a smile to an evil smirk which send more chills around my body.

 _I don't know why I feel so scared. I shouldn't even feel fear!_

"No...I don't want to go back!" I shouted. "Not yet! I still want to explore!"

I raised my flute and was attack him but got to Hisoka.

A ball like object hit Hisoka's face.

This caused him to go of me as he stumbled a few feet away.

I looked around to see who did that.

It turns out to be Gon and his fishing rod.

"Gon! move away! He's dangerous!" I yelled across the field.

"That was a good shot boy. Using that rod as a weapon. Can I see it?" Hisoka's smile widened even more which made him look extra creepy.

I could tell Gon was scared too because his legs were shaking and he was just standing there, unable to move.

Hisoka was slowly walking towards Gon as I started to run right in front of Gon. I held my arms out to shield him.

"Don't you dare hurt him Hisoka! It's me you want right!?" I looked at Hisoka in bravery.

 _I don't want any of my friends to get hurt if I'm his only target._

Hisoka stopped walking and looked at my face.

He once again put his hand on my face to examine it. He was pressing his fingers deep into my cheeks which made my face puff out a bit.

"You do have a cute face. I wouldn't want to hurt something like that. Too bad I don't feel like bringing you back right now. Well then you all passed." With that, Hisoka let go of me and walked up to Leorio.

He picked up the unconscious Leorio and started walking away.

"What are you doing to Leorio!?" I asked.

"If you want to continue the exam and catch up with everyone else, then follow me" Hisoka took off while carrying Leorio.

Gon and I looked at each other but we ended up following Hisoka, with extra caution.

I still can't believe Hisoka is the one whom Chrollo sent.

 _How did Chrollo find someone like Hisoka? Where did he come from?_

"Hey Aoi?" Gon said, cutting off the silence.

"Yes Gon?"

"What did Hisoka meant before? He said how he 'doesn't feel like bringing you back now'. Do you know him?" Gon questioned.

"Not really" I said. "It is just some business I have to take care of. Please don't mention this to anyone. Okay Gon?" I begged.

"I'm not good at keeping secrets but if its something you don't want to talk about, then I'll do it." Gon said with concern.

"Thank you Gon." I looked at him and he smiled at me.

This kid sure is interesting. I really appreciate having Gon as a friend.

 _I don't want anyone to get involved. It'll be too dangerous for them. Plus revealing who I am and where I came from would just cause trouble._

 _I just hope Hisoka won't cause anymore trouble to us._

* * *

After about an hour of running, we managed to catch up with everyone else.

We eventually made it across the mucky swamp and reached to what might be Phase two of the exam.

Gon and I sat at a nearby tree and rested.

"That's it for the first part of the exam." Satotsu started, "The second part will take place inside this building. It seems a significant amount of people has failed. So congratulations to those of you who made it. You can all wait here until noon. I thank you all and goodbye."

Satotsu bowed and started walking away.

I noticed Hisoka leaning against a tree and he pointed towards the opposite tree where Leorio was.

Gon and I ran to him and check on Leorio.

"Leorio are you okay?" asked Gon.

"My face hurts...my body hurts too..what happened?" Leorio asked in confusion.

"Your dumb self tried to fight off Hisoka and you lost" I said a bit annoyed.

He is such an idiot for bringing himself into that sort of danger.

"Aoi!" I turned around to see Kurapika and Killua walking towards us.

"Hey guys!" I was happy to see Kurapika. Good thing he made it here safe.

"Gon I thought you wouldn't come back after you left me." said Killua

"Sorry about that. But I had to save a friend" Gon said while smiling.

"What happened after we split up Aoi?" Kurapika asked

I explained to him everything that happened. Of course I didn't tell him about the reason why Hisoka was here. That would make me seem like a suspicious person.

Gon looked at me when he knew that I didn't mention the conversation he heard.

"So he really is a dangerous person then huh? We need to keep an extra eye on him." Kurapika said while glaring at Hisoka.

"He is but I'm pretty sure he'll leave us alone if we don't mess with him." I said. It is partially true.

We all stood outside of the building waiting for the doors to open.

Eventually, noon strikes and the doors started to open slowly.

What will we do in the second part of the exam?


	5. Pigs and Sushi

The clock strike noon and the doors started opening slowly.

Inside the building, there was a really large man who looks like the size of two rhinos and a woman who is tall and slim with a weird pink hairstyle.

 _I wonder what Phase Two of the exam will be about._

"Welcome to the second part of the Hunter exam." said the pink haired lady. "I am Menchi, this is Buhara"

Menchi, the pink haired lady, pointed herself and then at Buhara, the large man.

"We're Epicure Hunters." Buhara said with a lazy tone.

"What is that you say?" Menchi said with excitement. "Well we're hunters who specializes in searching for the rarest, most finest food that no other man can find. We are also your next proctors so respect us!"

"Epicure Hunters huh? Does that mean the second part will be about food?" Asked Gon.

"I guess so since they are one of the top class chefs." Kurapika replied.

"For this part of the exam. Everyone here will be cooking." Said Menchi with a smile.

"Cooking!?" Everyone around the crowd exclaimed.

"What the!? But I can't cook for life!" Leorio shouted.

"Well you're not the only one Leorio..." Gon said as he sighed.

"Is there any one of us here that knows how to cook?" Kurapika asked.

"Well I sorta know how to.." I whispered. That was because I cooked a couple of times with my Spiders family.

"Cooking is easy. There's nothing to fail about it" Killua said in a cocky tone.

"Don't have to brag about it brat!" Leorio said while holding his fist up and Killua just stick his tongue at him.

"QUIET!" Menchi yelled which made us all be quiet. "Buhara and I are starving. For this part of the exam, all of you are going to cook us whatever food we specifically want. The only way to pass this part of the exam is if you satisfy the both of us. Not just one of us."

"Me first! Me first!" Buhara said with a smile. "I am really really really hungry. I think I am craving for...I got it! Barbecued pig!"

"Barbecued pig!? Are you crazy!?" a random participant shouted.

"But barbecued pig is my favorite" Buhara said with a frown.

"Oi! If you get Buhara upset you'll automatically fail!" Menchi said while yelling at the guy.

"I only crave for the really violent pigs. So catch me my favorite pigs, the Great Stamp! They taste really yummy!" Buhara said while clapping.

"The Great Stamp?" Leorio questioned

"Where the hell can we find those?" I asked

"They live in the forest behind us. So hurry and grab one! They're going to run away soon!" Buhara started stomping on the floor.

Within a few seconds, a whole stampede of boars started running towards us!

We were all startled by this but eventually running for their lives. These pigs are almost the same size as Buhara and he is an extremely large man!

 _How the hell am I going to capture one and cook it?_

"Take that!" I heard Gon from a distance and noticed that he attacked the Stamp with his fishing rod.

He hit its head which killed the pig.

"Aim for the head Aoi! That's their weak spot!" Gon shouted.

"Got it!" I took out my flute and jumped on the pigs back.

I raised my flute as high as I could and smashed it onto the pigs head as hard as I can.

The Stamp fumbled around for a couple of seconds but soon died on the ground.

"Well that was easy." I said quietly.

I grabbed a couple of sticks, started a fire and roasted the pig until it was golden with a slight crisp.

With the pig fully cooked, I grabbed it and headed back to where Buhara and Menchi were. I laid the pig in front of Buhara and noticed the drools all over his face.

"Wow...this looks so yummy! They all look so delicious! Time to eat!" Buhara grabbed each pig one by one and ate them all.

I was counting the amount of pigs he ate and the number was seventy. Seventy big, gigantic, whole pigs. _Holy cow..._

"Buhara you didn't even savor them or criticized each pig!" Menchi yelled. "Did anyone fail?"

"Nope, all 70 passed" Buhara said as he made the loudest burp ever.

"Jeez...you're such an idiot Buhara" Menchi said as she lightly punched Buhara's stomach. "I guess all 70 of you passed his part of the exam. Now it's my turn"

Menchi gave a slight smirk and looked at each one of us. "My dish is going to be slightly tougher since I am more strict when it comes to food."

"Come on, how hard can it be? His food was easy as pie" Leorio said as he was pointing at Buhara.

"Hah! Wanna try me? The dish I want is something that is exquisite in Japan and are rare to find anywhere else. The dish I want is..." Menchi said started with a pause as she looked at each one of us.

"I want sushi!" She shouted and jumped in excitement.

I gave a quick smile and changed my expression.

I noticed that everyone else had a confused look.

 _Does no one knows what sushi is or something?_

"What's a sushi?" Gon asked.

"Probably a rice dish" Killua said.

"What the hell! How do you expect us to cook something we don't know!" Leorio shouted

"That's what you get for bragging boy!" Menchi said as she took out a knife and threw it to the ground. "I'll give you a little hint, the materials needed are inside the building. Each table has its own counter so pick one and get started with my meal!"

We all went inside the building and picked a counter. All of my friends went separate ways and chose counters from opposite areas.

I looked at my counter and noticed that there were knives, a rice cooker, cutting board, a small bamboo mat, seaweed and a sink.

I looked at my surroundings and almost everyone were questioning the materials given.

 _How do people not know what sushi is?_

"Good luck everyone! I'll be waiting right here for my meal. Take as much time as you need!" Menchi and Buhara sat at a table next to the building entrance.

I looked to my right and noticed a guy in a ninja uniform whose stationed next to me. He seems to be laughing. _Does he know what sushi is?_

"Is there a reason to why you're laughing?" I questioned him

"Oh no reason. I just thought of something that will make me the only person to pass this exam" He said

"Well then I guess I'm not the only one who knows how to make sushi" I whispered to him so that no one else could hear me.

"Oh? You know it too?" He stopped laughing and looked at me.

"Yeah. I use to cook with my..." I paused and thought how I should word this. I can't say Phantom Troupe or else I'm done for. "family. yeah. My family"

"I guess the two of us are going to pass then" He said while smiling

"I guess so. By the way, judging from your outfit. You're a ninja right?" I asked

"Indeed I am" He responded.

"Then that means you're from Japan. Of course you would know what sushi is" I said.

"Well that is true. I'm Hanzo by the way." He placed his hand in front of me to shake.

"I'm Aoi. Nice to meet you" I replied as I shaked his hand.

"You know Aoi, I've noticed you from the moment you stepped into the examination site." Hanzo said, starting a real conversation.

"What? really?" I asked confused.

"Yeah. You're one of the few females I see taking this exam. Plus you're the cutest one here" Hanzo said while blushing.

"I'll...just take that as a compliment. Thanks Hanzo." I just looked at him.

Was that a compliment? Or should I be creeped out? Although its a bit flattering. I guess.

"Well Menchi did give us all these materials. The only ingredient we're missing are fish. Where can we get one?" I asked Hanzo.

"Well, judging from the location we're at. If I remember clearly, when we were catching the pigs, I noticed a lake deep in the forest. So maybe there's fish." Hanzo answered.

"Oh! I didn't know there was a lake around here" I said.

"Yeah. If we want to get fish, we should go there now."

Hanzo quietly left his counter and tried to sneak his way out of the building.

I followed along and looked at my friends to motion them to follow. Kurapika, Killua and Gon seemed to have seen my signal but Leorio, being the idiot that he is, was completely not paying attention to me. I shrugged and continued to sneak my way out until Leorio finally noticed and decided to scream across the hall.

"Hey! Where are you guys going!?"

All eyes were set on us and I looked at Hanzo. I guess we can't do this in secret anymore.

"What now Hanzo?" I asked him.

Hanzo stood there for a second to think.

"Run to the lake!" With that, Hanzo sped off as all the other participants followed.

"That guy said lake!" Said one guy

"I think he's trying to catch some fish! Fish is one of the ingredients everyone! Lets go get some!" Shouted another person.

With that, all the other examiners came running towards the lake. I ran towards Leorio and knocked him on his head.

"Leorio you idiot!" I yelled

"What!? What did I do?" He asked back

"Kurapika, Gon and Killua saw me motioning them to sneak away and I tried getting your attention but you were in your own little world and you just blew our cover! We were planning to go to the lake in secret to prevent everyone else from knowing but you screaming across the hall made it worse" I said while sighing.

"Well sorry! How am I supposed to know you guys were keeping it a secret" Leorio said

"Honestly Leorio, Aoi is right, You are stupid" Kurapika said as he joined us in running.

"You take that back blondie!" Leorio said while holding up a fist

"Well let's just hope we get some fish" I whispered while pouting.

We all reached the lake and took time catching the fish.

They are a lot harder to catch than I thought. But I did caught one eventually.

I looked at Gon and he seemed to be catching fishes with ease using his fishing rod.

"Hey Aoi!" Gon was waving at me as I waved back and walked towards him.

"Hey Gon. I guess that fishing rod of yours is very useful now." I said with a laugh.

"Yeah I do it a lot back at Whale Island" Gon said with a cheesy smile.

"Do you know what sushi is?" I asked

"Nope. I have no clue. Judging from what you were doing before, I got the hint that this dish involves fish. But I still don't know what to do" Gon said with a puzzled look.

"It seems Aoi knows what sushi is" Kurapika said as he walked toward us with a fish in his hand.

"Oh yeah. I do" I answered quietly, making sure that other people don't hear me.

"Oohh. How do you know?" Gon asked in amusement.

"Well I use to cook for my family and this was one of the dishes I made" I said the Spiders.

 _I do miss them._

"I see. I would like to try some of your cooking one day Aoi" Kurapika said with a smile.

I couldn't help but to blush and look away.

"I-I see. You will someday..." I said quietly.

 _He makes me feel nervous whenever he's being charming._

"Me too Aoi! We all should try your cooking when we're free" Gon picked up his fish and started to walk away with Kurapika and I following him.

What Kurapika said before, just the thought of him trying out my cooking feels embarrassing.

I don't know why, but it made my heart beat faster when he said it.

 _Could I really be falling for him?_

After a couple of minutes, we all got back to the building and we went our separate ways.

I grabbed a cutting board and a knife and started dicing the fish.

"Woah. That's a nice fish you caught" Hanzo said just as he got to his counter.

"Yeah. It was the only one I managed to catch." I said with a grin.

"Well we shouldn't take our time, that lady looks like she's getting irritated" Hanzo said pointing towards a hungry Menchi.

Hanzo was right.

I looked at Menchi and she looked like she was getting really impatient.

She was using Buhara's arm as a punching bag and kept screaming that she's starving.

"Come on! I'm starving! What's taking you guys so long!?" She screamed.

"I guess I better hurry then" I said as I sliced the fish rapidly.

I prepped up the ingredients needed and looked at Menchi again.

People were already approaching her with dishes in their hand. Each one of them were wrong.

Menchi kept having a disappointing look on her face and threw the plates on the side, rejecting them.

I even saw Leorio, Gon and Kurapika gave their try on making sushi and yet Menchi still rejects them.

"THIS IS NOT SUSHI! DO IT AGAIN!" She shouted.

"She is so harsh on them." I said

"That's because no one knows how to make sushi" Hanzo replied, cocky.

"But still, she should at least give them credit for trying" I sighed.

 _What if she doesn't like my dish?_

"Hey look at that guy" Hanzo was pointing towards Killua.

"Oh. Its Killua" I said

"What is it he has on his hand?" He asked.

Killua approached Menchi with a really fancy dish.

It was technically a 'sushi' dish but this style was not the Japanese sushi style Menchi wanted. It was more of a Western style I think.

Menchi's eyes did spark for a bit but then she went back to her impatient self and rejected the dish.

"Nope. Not the sushi I want. NEXT!" She said as she tossed Killua's dish to the side.

"Well, I tried." Killua shrugged and headed back to his counter.

"For a second I thought she was going to accept his dish. Oh well" I sighed once again.

"Well now it's my turn" Hanzo said as he picked up his dish.

He just finished his roll and walked off. It is exactly what Menchi wanted in terms of 'sushi' and it had nice quality too.

Sushi is supposed to be rice shaped like a cylinder with a small thin slice of fish on top wrapped with a thin sheet of seaweed.

"Watch this Aoi, She'll love my dish and I'm going to pass" Hanzo said with determination.

He walked up to Menchi with a big smile as all the participants stopped what their doing and looked at Hanzo.

"Finally!" Menchi shouted in excitement. "This is what sushi is supposed to be people! At least someone here knows how to make it!"

She took out her chopsticks, picked up the sushi and dipped it in soy sauce. She ate her sushi and was happy for a second until she frowned.

"This sushi taste bad. MAKE ME ANOTHER ONE!" She screamed as she tossed the dish to the side.

"What!? It's sushi! How can you not like it!?" Hanzo screamed.

"Make it taste better and than you'll pass!" She yelled back.

Hanzo sulked his way back to his counter and everyone else now understood what Sushi is.

"Don't worry Hanzo. Maybe her expectations are higher than normal sushi. She is an Epicure Hunter after all" I said as I tried to comfort him.

"Yeah you're probably right." Hanzo said as he sulked again.

"Well, usually when I cook, I always thought that cooking comes from the heart. Like there's a purpose for cooking. You want to cook for the people you love and care about. That's how I cooked for my family. A heartwarming dish can satisfy a person no matter the quality." I gave a heartwarming smile to cheer up Hanzo.

Hanzo was a little dazed and I waved my hand in front of him. His face was a bit flushed too.

"Are you okay Hanzo?" I looked at him confused.

"Y-Yes! I'm okay!" Hanzo said as he looked away and started cooking again.

"ANYONE ELSE HAVE FOOD FOR ME!? I'M STARVING HERE AND THESE FOOD I'VE BEEN EATING ARE TERRIBLE!" Menchi was starting to throw chairs around as she got crankier.

Everybody around the room were swarming around Menchi with their sushi pieces but she kept rejecting them one by one.

Lucky for her, my sushi dish was actually complete. I made a roll, that consist of six sushi pieces, and some fish sashimi on the side.

I even added a little bit of salt on the sushi so that it had a better salty taste.

"Alright. Let's do this" I nodded my head with a smile

As I was approaching towards Menchi, everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at me this time.

I can feel the pressure of everyone's eyes on me. I can even somehow sense Hisoka's creepy stare towards me.

"Here is my dish Menchi. Sushi along with Sashimi." I said as I graciously placed the plate in front of her.

"My goodness! This dish is completely different from that ninja guy! You even rolled it up!" Menchi said with glittery eyes.

"Hey I heard that!" as I heard Hanzo faintly scream from the back.

"Time to eat!" Menchi said in excitement.

She picked up her chopsticks and ate my sushi. She was chewing for almost a minute and finally spoke.

"This is one of the best sushi I've ever had!" She said as she finished the dish within seconds.

"So Menchi" I started, "Does that mean I pass?"

"Hmm...Number 406, I say you passed this exam!" Menchi said as she burped.

"Oh nice Aoi!" Gon said with excitement

"Good job" Kurapika said as he placed his hand on my shoulder.

"Uh thanks..haha." I looked away while blushing.

"Sorry everyone, but bad news. I'm full. So this part of the exam is over" Menchi said while patting on her stomach.

"What!?" Everyone shouted.

 _Exam over?_

 _Everybody else didn't even get a second chance yet._

 _What happens now?_


	6. Second Chance

"Sorry everyone, but bad news. I'm full. So this part of the exam is over" Menchi said while patting on her stomach.

"Wait, what!?" Leorio shouted

"You got to be kidding me right!?" Hanzo shouted also.

"So what happens now?" Killua questioned.

"It's over. That's it. Only one person passed. Number 406 can move on. Everyone else can go home and try again next year. Thank you for coming!" Menchi said as she moved her hand in a motion that meant 'shoo'

"But...I thought I was going to make it as a Hunter..." Gon said with a sad expression.

"You're not serious right?" Kurapika asked.

"I am most serious. Once I say something, that's it. Not changing my mind. Let's go Buhara" Menchi said, annoyed.

She got up from her seat and was about to walk away until a crowd of people surrounded them.

"We cannot accept that!" said one of the examiners

"That's not fair that only one person passed!" said another examiner

"How is it that she is the only one that gets to pass!" shouted another person.

I felt uncomfortable.

 _It's not my fault I passed..._

"Everyone quiet! I'm on the phone right now!" Menchi yelled as she picked up her ringing phone. "This is Menchi. Tell the committee that only one person passed Phase Two."

"Uh...Menchi, I think you're being too harsh on them." Buhara said.

"No I'm not! Its their fault that they don't know how to cook! So everyone else failed!" She screamed.

Everyone in the crowd started to raise their voices and verbal arguments were happening left and right.

A lot of people were very frustrated and angry that it seemed like a fight was about to happen.

Menchi was arguing back to those that screamed at her and she even seemed like she was ready to throw some punches.

I quickly took out my flute and started playing a few notes.

Pretty soon, the loud voices died down and the arguments stopped. Everyone turned to look at me as I finished playing my last couple of notes.

"Finally. You were all arguing so much that I couldn't even think in my head." I said as I put my flute away. Then I looked at Menchi.

"Menchi, I don't even think its fair that I'm the only one that passed. Can't there be another way for everyone to have a second chance?" I plead to her.

"Uhm..." Menchi placed a finger on her head while thinking. "No. Just you. Everyone still failed"

Just as people were about to argue again, we all heard huge airship flying above us as we all left the building to see what was going on.

The airship was just hovering over us and a voice was heard from above.

"Menchi, you may have to reconsider your decision" The voice said.

"Oh crap...its the examination committee." Menchi said with a worried look on her face.

"The committee? What are they doing here?" said Gon.

"I think they heard about our little situation here" Kurapika replied.

"My, my. This part of the exam was very interesting." I heard this voice right behind me and I jumped.

I turned around to see that it was Satotsu.

"W-what are you doing here?" I asked surprised

"I was curious to see the second part of the exam so I hid myself to watch you guys." Satotsu said.

"That is utterly creepy" Killua said.

"But I am surprised to see President Netero here. It's rare for the President to come out during the exams" We all looked back at the airship after Satotsu said that.

I'm assuming the voice above is Netero.

"So he's the most important person from the exam huh?" Kurapika said.

We all noticed a person jumping down from the airship and landed right in front of Menchi.

I was a bit surprised. He must've jumped down from 1,000 feet! This guy is crazy.

"H-Hello President Netero..." Menchi said as she and Buhara bowed in front of him.

"I was notified from the rest of the committee that you only passed one person for the exam. Don't you think it's a bit unfair?" Netero asked a nervous Menchi.

If Menchi fears Netero, then he must be well respected among people from the examination committee.

"Yes President Netero, I may have gotten a bit overboard. I only wanted to challenge them with something new. I may have been a bit unfair. I am sorry. It's all my fault!" Menchi bowed in front of Netero again.

"Nonsense Menchi. You were only doing your job. I suggest you give each person here another try." Netero said with a smile.

"Yes sir! I will give everyone a second chance!" Menchi said.

"Did you hear that Killua? We get a retest!" Gon said in joy.

"Well that's a relief" Killua said.

"So Menchi. What food dish do you have in mind?" Netero asked

Menchi placed her finger on her chin and thought for a couple of minutes. "It'll be something very simple. We're going to boil an egg"

"Boil an egg?" Leorio questioned, raising one eyebrow. "Is this some sort of trick?"

"Nope. It's just that. Boiled egg."

"Good. Very easy topic. Where would you like everyone be for this challenge?" Netero asked

"Well this specific egg I want can only be found at the top of the mountains. Can you please take us there President Netero?" Menchi asked while looking at everyone.

"Very well. Shall we all head to the mountains? Please hop onto my airship." Netero motioned everyone to the airship as it lowered down for all of us to get on.

The ride to the mountain took about an hour long. We all managed to rest in a lounge area and had a chat about things that happened from the exam.

We basically had normal conversations to catch up on each other before we arrived at the mountains.

* * *

When we did arrive at the top of the mountain, there was a cliff that goes deep to the bottom. I can faintly see the bottom of the mountain but I do see a river that has deadly currents. If anyone falls down there, it'll be game over for them.

"Well we're here. This specific egg I'm looking for are called the Spider-Eagle egg. They are located down this cliff. Obtaining the egg is going to be a challenge because this is to test your balance and strength. I'll give you all a demonstration on how its done."

With that, Menchi took her shoes off and jumped off the cliff. We all observed her every move. There were ropes in between the cliff and Menchi was hanging off of them to reach for the egg. The nests were located on the corners of the cliff which will probably give it an extra challenge to get them. Menchi managed to get an egg and came back on top of the mountain with it.

"This is the egg you'll be boiling. When you go down to get an egg, be extra careful, one mistake and you'll be washed away forever." Menchi said.

"Well this looks fun" Killua said as he was the first person to climb down.

"Alright! now this is the kind of challenge I've been waiting for!" Gon climbed down right after Killua.

"Well at least it isn't something like sushi" Leorio hopped down afterwards.

"I agree. I'll see you later Aoi" Kurapika gave me a thumbs up and then hopped down.

Many people went down afterwards to retrieve the egg and I heard many screams and a few splashes. Maybe this challenge is a lot harder for certain people.

"Menchi, who was the one person that passed your original test?" Netero asked

"That would be number 406 sir." Menchi replied.

"Number 406?" Netero asked

"That'll be me President Netero" I said as I bowed towards him.

"What is your name young lady?" He asked

"My name is Aoi." I answered

"Aoi, since you were the only person who passed Menchi's original exam, you are allowed to skip out on this."

"I am?"

"Yeah. You don't have to do this if you don't want to" Menchi said.

"Well I don't mind doing this challenge. I think it'll be more fair with everyone else." I answered.

"I see. You can carry on" Netero said

"Thank you sir" With that, I jumped down the cliff and grabbed onto a rope. I was greeted by Kurapika

"Aoi? You're going to take this test again?" He asked.

"Well yeah. I wouldn't think it was right if I was exempt from it because of the sushi challenge. Also, Hanzo and I were the only two people who knew what sushi was anyways. I prefer to be fair and pass with everyone else."

"You do make a valid point. You're a nice person Aoi" Kurapika said with a smile

"T-Thanks, you're a nice person too Kurapika." I said as I looked away to prevent him from seeing me blush

"To be honest Miss Aoi, I would've done this challenge too. This seems more fun" Killua said

"Me too!" said Gon. "Oh! Got my egg! See you guys back up!"

"Me too!" Leorio picked up his egg and went up

"I'm done here" Killua went back up as well.

"Well Aoi, I got my egg. Good luck finding one" And with that, all my friends went back up and I've yet to find an egg.

As I walked along the strings of the cliff, I noticed that there was only one Spider-Eagle egg left. There were about 10 people around me and they all dived for the egg. Pretty soon, they all fell into the river one by one.

Just as I was about to reach for the egg, a slight breeze came by and it blew the egg off the nest. The egg was heading towards the river. This would've really sucked if I fail the exam now!

I quickly jumped off the rope string and dived for the egg. I took out my flute, cut one end of the rope and tied it around my ankle. The egg was inches away from the river but I managed to catch it in time. I even faintly heard some clapping as I climbed my way back up the mountain. I guess everybody was watching me.

"Time's up! Show me your eggs everyone!" Menchi said just as I stood right next to Kurapika.

"Woah. Close call" I said while taking short breaths to cool myself off.

"That was a nice jump you had for the egg Aoi!" Gon said

"Yeah. Interesting to watch" Killua agreed

"Everyone, please bring your egg to this pot and drop it in the hot water" Menchi pointed at a huge pot that could possibly feed Buhara. "Make sure it is boiled correctly or else the egg won't taste good!"

We all surrounded the pot and dropped our eggs in as we anxiously wait for our egg to boil.

"Hey Aoi" said Kurapika

"Yes Kurapika?"

"When I was watching you catch your egg, I was worried for a bit that you were going to fall into the river. I was actually very relieved when I saw that you were safe"

"You were worried about me?" I asked while feeling my face getting red.

It felt nice to hear that from Kurapika.

 _I guess I am starting to fall for this guy._

"Yeah. I did. I would be sad if you failed the exam" He replied with a warm smile.

"Oh" I can feel my heart beating fast again.

"Oi! Aoi!" Hanzo called out to me.

"Hey Hanzo. I see you got an egg too."

"Yeah it was a piece of cake. That's what my ninja skills are for. We're bound to pass this part of the exam" He said with such confidence.

"Hey I think the eggs are ready!" Gon shouted

We all gathered around the giant pot again and grabbed our eggs. We all walked up to Menchi and handed her the eggs.

"Woah. I'm not eating them. This time, you'll eat them. Go on. Try them" Menchi pointed at our eggs.

We looked at each other and started peeling them.

I took a huge bite off my egg and it was simply delicious and yet it has a mysterious taste that I've never tasted before.

It was soft and moist. Just like how a boiled egg should be. Spider-Eagle eggs are really tasty!

"This is so good!" Gon shouted

"Yeah. I have never tasted anything like this before!" said Leorio

"I wish I can add this as one of my recipes" I said while chuckling.

"Glad to know you all like it." Menchi said

"So Menchi. How many passed now?" Netero asked

"Well out of the 70 that were originally here, only 42 people passed. So this second exam is over!" Menchi said as he raised her fist in the air.

"Excellent. Now let's all get back on the airship. I will transport all of you to your third examination site" Netero said as we all followed him to the ship.

"It's good to know that we all managed to pass this part of the exam thanks to the president" Kurapika said.

We all nodded in agreement and hung out around the same lounge we were in earlier.

In my opinion, I found the second part of the exam to be extremely fun. I wonder what we'll do for the third part of the exam.

I have a gut wrenching feeling that things may become difficult now that we're one step closer to obtaining our Hunter's license.


	7. Trick Tower

After an hour or two on flight, we all reached to the third examination site. When everyone got off the airship, I realized that we landed on top of a really huge, really tall tower. What are we supposed to do here?

"Are we on top of a tower?" Leorio asked

"I think so." Kurapika answered

"Maybe we fight each other?" Gon questioned

"No, I think we listen to that" Killua said as he pointed to some speakers around the tower.

There were noises coming from the speakers as we hear a voice coming from it.

"Welcome to Trick Tower. This is the third part of the Hunter's Exam. The only thing to do in Trick tower is to reach to the bottom within seventy-two hours. That's all. I wish you all good luck" The speakers shut off and people already started looking around for a way down.

"Three days to get to the bottom of the tower huh?" I said while looking around.

"It may sound easy but I bet it's a lot tougher than you think." Kurapika said

"So, how will we get down?" Gon asked

"This tower is just a really tall wall. I bet climbing down would be considered suicide." Leorio said

"You actually said something smart Leorio" I said as a tease

"Hey! I'm not that dumb Aoi!" Leorio shouted

"I know. I was just messing with you Leorio" I said while patting his shoulder.

"Let's go find a way down. We're gonna waste time if we fool around" Killua said

"Yeah you're right. I think we should split up to look for clues." I suggested

"I agree with Aoi" Kurapika said as he nodded his head

With that, we all split up and looked around the tower for ways to get to the bottom. After what seem like a half hour, I noticed that there were less people up here. It's as if there was a secret entrance to get inside this tower.

"Guys! Check this out!" Gon shouted as we all regrouped around him.

"Gon seemed to have found an entrance to this tower" Killua said

"Nice Gon! How did you find it?" Leorio said

"I was using my nose to smell the area and this floor right here smelled different than the other tiles" Gon said

I kneeled to the ground and lifted up a tile. There was a passage to get inside but it was immediately blocked by a trap.

"What the?" I said confused

"It seems that there are different entrances to get inside. I think it only sets off when a person goes through it." Kurapika said

"So it'll be one person per entrance" Killua added

"Well I smelled 5 entrances that are close to each other" Gon said

"Where is that?" I asked

Gon walked forward a bit and pointed to us five different tiles right next to each other. They were formed in a circle. Perfect for five people to go through.

"One of these could be a trap" Kurapika said

"It's better than being stuck up here. I'd take the risk" Killua said

"So let's all just pick a time and jump in on three" Leorio said.

So we all picked a tile to jump through and waited for the signal.

"Ready everyone?" Gon said

I nodded my head as we started the countdown.

"one"

"two"

"three!"

We all jump at the same time and I see all of my friends going through their entrance and I hit the tile really hard. My entrance didn't open up.

"Ouch...what the heck!?" I said while trying to lift up the tile.

I looked through and saw that it was already blocked. I'm trapped up here! Everyone just left me behind!

"Oh great...Kurapika and the others are already down there and I'm stuck up here. This is so ridiculous" I said while walking around for another entrance to go through.

I spent the next hour looking for another entrance and I couldn't find any. I went back to the circle of tiles everyone went through and started tapping on each tile. It doesn't make sense that there isn't another entrance around.

"Where is this stupid entrance!?" I screamed as I stomped on a random tile really hard.

The tile I stomped on just so happened to open up and I fell right through it.

"Ahh!" I screamed while being startled by it.

I was going down a hole and just when I see some light up ahead, I fell straight to the ground.

"Ouch!"

"Hey! It's Aoi!"

"huh?" I looked up to see that it was all of my friends

"Well look who finally dropped in" Leorio said in a sarcastic tone

"Glad to see you made it Miss Aoi" Killua said while placing his arms behind his head

"What took you so long to get here Aoi?" Kurapika asked

"Well, when we all jumped, my entrance was already trapped so I got stuck up there. I thought made your way down without me." I said while chuckling.

"Don't worry. I would've never left you alone. We waited for you" Kurapika said as he smiled at me

I could tell that I was blushing. Kurapika is a kind person. I like that.

"Sorry about that Aoi, I didn't know it was already a trap" Gon said while scratching his cheek

"Don't worry about it Gon. I'm here now. That's what matters. So shall we move on?" I said

"Well you didn't really miss much but here." Killua passed a bracelet like device to me

"What is it?" I asked

"We don't know. We found it when we got here" Leorio said

There was only one door in the room we're in. A television monitor just happened to pop out right when I put the bracelet on. The screen showed a dark figure and it spoke to us.

"Welcome. It looks like the five of you has taken the 'Majority Rule' path. This is where you will have to work together as a team. There are two buttons on each device. An 'O' and an 'X'. Those two buttons are there for you to make your decisions as you get further down the tower. There is also a timer for you all to keep track before this exam ends. I wish you all good luck"

"Well this should be easy, we're all friends here. There's no way we would disagree on anything" Leorio said in a cocky tone

"Very well. Here's an easy first question. If you want to advance, Press 'O', if not, then press 'X'" said the voice

We all proceeded to press 'O' and the door opened up. We started going through the door and walked down the hall. We were all walking in silence since we don't know what to expect.

We eventually entered a two way passage. Both ways are locked by a door and the figure on the screen popped out again to speak to us.

"If you want to go right, press 'O', if you want to go left, press 'X'" said the figure

I wonder what everyone else will press. Judging between left and right, usually people who are new with directions picks left and they always end up in a trap. So I think picking right would be a good answer for all of us. I pressed the 'O' button and the screen showed our choices. There were 3 'O' and 2 'X'. The right door opened up and we all started walking through.

"Huh? I thought going left was a good idea" Leorio said

"No, right is a better option." Killua said

"And why is that?" Leorio asked

"Going left is what many people who are lost usually chooses. Going left always lead to either the wrong way or a trap." I said

"Aoi is correct Leorio." Kurapika said

"I see. I guess we're both simple-minded. Right Gon?" Leorio said as he winked at Gon.

"So I'm on the same level as Leorio?" Gon said in a sad tone

"What do you mean by that Gon!?" Leorio shouted

"Don't worry Gon. No one is going to be on the same level as Leorio." I said, comforting Gon

"I heard that Aoi!" Leorio said

"Oh whatever do you mean Leorio? I didn't say anything" I said while smiling

"Yeah whatever" Leorio said as he started to sulk

We continued to follow the path until we reached to the entrance of an arena. This area had a ring in the middle but the ring was surrounding by a bottomless pit. The opposite side of the room has a door and there were five people with cloaks standing there.

"Who are they?" Gon asked

"Where the heck are we?" Leorio said

One of the five people started to walk up and remove his cloak. He was a middle aged man, very well built and had a major scar across his face. He also had handcuff's around him until it was taken off and fell to the ground.

"Welcome to the arena, the five of us here to hired to fight each of you to prevent you from passing. These fight's will be one on one matches and no same person is allowed to fight twice. In order to move on, you must win three fights. If you accept this battle, press 'O'. If you quit, press 'X'."

This is actually pretty interesting. Finally I get to fight without having to kill someone. I quickly pressed 'O' on my bracelet and the screen showed five 'O's.

"Very well. I'll be the first person to fight. I don't need to introduce myself because I already know I'm going to win" The man said with a smirk.

"So, whose going first?" Leorio said while looking at each of us.

"I'll go!" Gon shouted

"No, I'll go, From the looks of this guy, he looks pretty strong. If you fight him Gon, you may be at a disadvantage." Kurapika said

"And what makes you think you'll win Kurapika? You're a scrawny guy too" Leorio said

"Do you plan on fighting him then?" Kurapika asked annoyed

"Uh...not really" Leorio said

"If you guys are going to be babies, then I'll go" Killua said as he was about to go

"No" I said which caused everyone to look at me. "I'll go. This is going to be pretty interesting"

I stepped up and a small bridge popped out to guide me to the ring. At first the man was surprised to see me come up but then turned back to his cocky self

"Well well" he said while cracking his knuckles "I didn't expect to fight the pretty lady. I was expecting to fight that kid" He pointed at Killua.

"Sorry sir but I'll be your opponent for today. Also, I'm not just a girl, I'm a lot stronger than you think" I said as I took my fighting stance. My flute is not needed with this guy.

"Okay, if you say so girl." With that, the man headed straight at me, getting ready to throw a punch.

Just as he was about to punch me, I jumped up and gracefully dodged him. I landed and stood on his right shoulder.

"you missed" I said while I jumped to the ground

"What!? No girl has ever dodged my punches before!" He shouted, surprised

"I told you already, I'm not just some ordinary girl" I said a bit annoyed

I was a bit disappointed because I thought my fight was going to be interesting but it wasn't. He was boring me. Knocking him out right now would be too easy. I guess I'll just have to play around with him. Maybe my cello would be perfect for him.

So, with my nen abilities, I summoned my cello from my necklace. My cello is mainly used for controlling another human being. So basically, I could use to this make people my puppets. Just like how Shalnark can use his cell phone to control people.

"What, you're gonna play music for me with that thing?" The man said as he laughed

I jumped up as he tried to throw another punch at me and I used my bow to whack him which caused him to stumble.

"Heh, you're a lot stronger than I thought" He said

"Never judge a girl by looks" I said while smirking.

In order for me to control this guy, I needed a strand of his hair to wrap around my bow. The only disadvantage is that the man is bald. So I can't get hair from him, but I can get some of his blood on my bow.

"I'll make sure you don't dodge this time!" He started running towards me at full speed

I was running down the ring to try and get a good jump to go over him. I tried to jump but he managed to grab my foot.

"I got you now!"

He was spinning me around and was about to slam me to the ground until I used my bow and cut his arm. His blood splattered and some of it got on my bow.

"Gah!"

He let go of me and I jumped 10 feet away from him. Close call. I would've almost gotten myself hurt.

"How clever. You used your stupid bow to make a small cut on my arm" He wiped off some blood and licked it

I shuddered at how disgusting that was. Now that I have his blood. All is going according to my plan.

"Sorry to break it to you sir. But this match is about to be over" I said

"And what makes you think that?" he asked

"Because I'm about to make you give up" I said while placing my bow on my cello and playing a couple of notes

"What the hell!? I can't move my body!" The man was just standing there, using all the strength he has to move an inch. "What did you do to me!?"

"Simple, I needed to make you my puppet. But since you were bald, I used your blood on my cello to get control of you." I said as I played a couple of musical patterns to make him dance around

"Stop! You're making me look like a fool!" He shouted

I looked at my friends and they all seemed to be amazed at what I was doing. I looked at Kurapika and he was looking at me in a weird way. His facial expression was different than everyone else's.

"Okay, I'm bored with you now." I played some notes to make him stop dancing

"A-Are you going to make me kill myself?" He asked

"Nope" I said because I'm not like that anymore. "You're just going to say that you give up"

I played a scale and made the man raise his right arm and said whatever I commanded him too. I made him give up the match and gave victory to us.

"Alright Aoi! That was freaking awesome!" Leorio screamed from across the hall.

I wiped my bow off and placed the cello back into my necklace. I walked up to the man to shake hands with him.

"That was a fun match. Never underestimate a girl again" I said while smiling

The man looked at me but then shook my hand

"Heh. It was pretty interesting to lose to a girl. But I enjoyed the match." he said

We both headed back to our group.

"Aoi! that was really cool! I didn't know you're that strong! I'm so excited!" Gon said in a cheery tone

"Yeah. You're a really tough person Miss Aoi" Killua said while smiling towards me

"Haha. I've been training for many years. So I know what I'm doing" Which is true. Chrollo and the others has trained me when I was new at the group.

I looked at Kurapika and he was giving me a weird stare. Did I do something wrong?

"Aoi..." was the only thing Kurapika can say

"Yea Kurapika?" I asked looking at him

"Have you...did you...actually nevermind me" He said as he came back to reality from his stare

"Huh? Are you okay Kurapika?" I placed my hand on my his forehead. Blushing at the fact that I'm touching his face

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me" Kurapika said as he smiled at me.

He grabbed my hand and brought it down gently. His hand was soft and it was making me blush at the fact that he's holding onto my hand.

"I just thought of something silly. That's all" Again, he smiled at me.

"Okay. If you say so" I smiled back.

"I'm next!" screamed one of the people from the other group.

This person took their cloak and cuffs off and it revealed to be a very skinny man who looks very fragile.

"I am Setokon. I will be the next opponent. Who will come and join me?" He asked

"Me!" Gon screamed and ran towards the ring without letting anyone else have a say

"Aw man. I wanted to go next" Leorio said as he sulked

"It's okay Leorio, Gon probably has a reason for wanting to go next" I said

I would always have faith in Gon. He's a very smart kid. Now I get to see Gon's skills. Let's see how interesting this kid is.


	8. Kuruta

"I'm your next opponent. How are we going to fight mister?" Gon asked as Setokan just stood there and stared at him.

"Well, its obvious that I'm a weak person. I have no muscle. I'm can't jump or move fast. I can't even throw a punch. So how about we play a little game?" Setokan asked

"Okay. I like games" Gon said with a smile.

"Very well then." Setokan pulled out two candles from behind his back. "These are just two different candles. The game we'll play is simple. Whoever's candle blows out first loses. That's it."

"That sounds easy. I'll play the game" Gon said as he gave Setokan a thumbs up.

"Okay. I have a long candle and a short candle. Choose which one you want and I'll take the other one." said Setokan.

"Hm. If Gon chooses the longer one, that one may be a trick" said Leorio

"So can the shorter one. Or maybe Setokan put a trick on both candles." I said

"Aoi is right. Either way, there's a fifty percent chance Gon may be tricked" Kurapika said

"Oi! Gon! Which candle will you choose!?" Killua screamed for Gon to hear.

"I choose the long one!" Gon screamed back

"Why the long one?" Setokan asked

"Easy. That's because the long one burns faster than the short one. duh" Gon said while flashing a smile towards us

We all smacked our faces with our hand. Dumbest decision ever.

"Gon is kidding right?" Killua asked

"I wish, but he's an idiot!" Leorio screamed

Gon grabbed the longer candle while Setokan kept the shorter one.

They both lit the candles and the flames were going off. Everything seemed normal for the first two minutes until Gon's flame grew bigger all of a sudden.

"Ah!? Hot! Hot! Hot!" Gon shouted

"I knew it! The longer candle was a trick! Awh man Gon is done for!" Leorio screamed

"Gon! Don't drop the candle! Keep holding onto it!" I yelled hoping that Gon doesn't lose

"It's really hot though! Ouch!" Gon couldn't hold the candle anymore due to it burning him.

Gon let go of the candle and it fell on the floor. Surprisingly, the candle didn't blow out. It was still going. I looked at Gon and he seemed to have an idea.

"Give up kid?" Setokan said as if he just won the match

"Nope. My flame is still lit up. Since I'm not holding it, then I can do this." Gon quickly ran in front of Setokan and blew out his candle

"W-what!? My candle!" Setokan said while being startled

"I guess I win" Gon said as he turned around and flashed us a peace sign.

"You did it Gon!" I screamed

"He actually did it" Killua said amazed

"Alright! Another point for us!" Leorio said in victory

"Gon can actually be very smart. Although he does make stupid decisions" Kurapika said

"I can agree to that." I said

Gon came back to our group and Leorio 'hi'-fived him. On the other side of the ring, I saw the next opponent walking towards the center. That person didn't even waste a single second to get there. That person took off their cloak and it revealed to be a huge, bulky, purple skin man with a really ugly face.

"You want to take this guy Killua?" Kurapika asked

"Hm...nah. He doesn't look like he's worth my time" Killua said while looking away

"Wait! What about me Kurapika?" Leorio said

"Do you want to take this guy?" Kurapika asked annoyed

"Uh..well...not really..he's like a macho man..." Leorio whispered

"Then I didn't have to ask" Kurapika said as he started walking towards the ring.

"Well jeez. Didn't have to be so mean" Leorio said as he wrapped his arms together and 'huff'-ed

"We all know you wouldn't even want to take this guy on Leorio. He's probably too strong for you" I said in a sarcastic tone

"I agree. Leorio might've lost to this guy in two seconds" Killua said with a smirk

"Shut up! I can't take this guy on!" Leorio screamed

"Well it's too late now. Kurapika is there" I said as we see Kurapika and the purple man standing in front of each other.

"Ha! You're going to be my next victim. I've killed nineteen so far in the past and you'll be number twenty!" said the purple man

"So I'm your next opponent. Whatever you want to do is fine with me." Kurapika said

"Very well. Then we'll have a death match. Whoever gives up or dies first, loses. Got that?" The man said while cracking his knuckles

"I accept" Kurapika said as he took out his weapon and got into a fighting stance.

I have never seen Kurapika fight before. So this is going to be interesting to watch. I wonder just how strong Kurapika is. Maybe he's stronger than everyone else here.

"Time for you to die!" The purple man threw a punch towards Kurapika but Kurapika easily dodged it and stood a few feet away from his original spot.

"Try again" Kurapika taunted

"Why you little punk!"

Punches kept getting thrown around Kurapika as he gracefully dodge them.

It eventually came to the point where the purple man lifted up both of his arms and was about to smash Kurapika to the ground but he managed to dodge it in the last second. The ground got smashed and the purple man's shirt ripped off in the process. He took the shirt off and tossed it to the ground. He then turned his back towards us and I saw something that definitely should not be there.

The spider tattoo is on his back.

"Oh no. That tattoo. The spider with twelve legs." Leorio said

"Huh? I don't get it. What does that tattoo mean?" Gon asked confused

"Having that spider tattoo means you're part of the Phantom Troupe" I said, trying not to be angry.

This guy has the tattoo on his back but I can clearly see that it is a fake. He disgusts me. It's just truly disgusting at how he can mock our name like that.

"Aoi is right. This means that this guy is a member of the Phantom Spiders." Leorio said. "And these are the guys that killed Kurapika's clan"

My gaze quickly shifted to Leorio.

 _What did he just say?_

"Can you please repeat that Leorio? What do you mean we-" I quickly caught myself and changed the word. "They killed Kurapika's clan?"

I was so surprised that I almost slipped that I was a part of that group. Good thing I caught myself or else things would have been troublesome.

"Kurapika is from the Kuruta clan. He told me that the Phantom Troupe showed up four years ago and killed his entire clan. Kurapika is the sole survivor. He mentioned that he wants to become a Blacklist Hunter to search for that group and get his revenge."

"So this man is one of them!?" Gon said in shock

I felt like time froze for the next two minutes. My head was spinning.

The world was going black and white on me. Kurapika was from the Kuruta clan?

 _My God. It felt like this was karma. That was the clan that made me lose the desire to kill. It was this very clan, four years ago._

 _I wanted to get out of killing. I wanted to become a better person. Yet here I am, in a group where one of them is the sole survivor of a clan I assassinated._

 _Chrollo sent us there for their eyes. Those scarlet red eyes._

How would I know that I would be attracted to someone whose friends and family I killed!? Why is this happening to me?

 _I am so sorry for what I've done._

But what happens if Kurapika finds out? What would happen to me? Would Kurapika kill me? Would he tell me he never want to see me again? Would he force me to take him to everyone else? No. I don't want my friends to die. They're family to me. I can't let Kurapika near them. I just can't. I have to make sure he never finds out. It's not my fault that his clan died. I was only fourteen at the time. I was young and wild. I should be ashamed of myself.

"Oi! Aoi!? You there!?" Leorio was shouting in front of me while waving his hand

"Huh? Oh...yeah..I'm here...I was just thinking about something." I whispered, looking at the ground

"You look like you saw a ghost Miss Aoi" Killua said

"Yeah. You're as white as snow" Leorio said.

"I guess you can say that..." I whispered so low that no one can hear me.

"You guys, I think Kurapika is mad" Gon said as he pointed towards Kurapika

Kurapika was just standing there with his head down. How angry is he? Does he really believe that this man is part of the Spiders? What is he gonna do? Kill him?

"He should feel mad. This guy is one of the people that killed his clan" Leorio said

"No he's not!" I screamed. Not realizing it as my friends turned to look at me.

"What's wrong Miss Aoi?" Killua asked

"You seem angry too. Did that man do something personally to you too?" Gon asked

"No. I'm sorry guys. It's just. I feel sad for Kurapika and I took a look at his tattoo. It's a fake" I said. Feeling pain in my chest while tugging at my right glove. That's where my tattoo is. On my right hand.

"Are you sure it's a fake Aoi?" Leorio asked

"Yes. I'm sure. Trust me on this. It's a fake" I said.

Stuff that Leorio said earlier kept replaying in my head. How can I be so foolish? There's no way Kurapika would ever like a girl like me. I'm a killer. I **was** a killer. But I'll probably **be** a killer in Kurapika's eyes forever if he finds out.

We all looked at Kurapika and he had his head up. From where I'm standing, I can see those beautiful scarlet red eyes. Just looking at Kurapika, I felt fear. A different kind of fear from Hisoka. This fear was scarier. Those eyes shows strong emotions of pain, anger and despair. I feel so sorry.

"There are three things you need to need" Kurapika said as he grabbed the purple man's neck and flipped him to the ground really hard.

"One, each member of the Phantom Troupe should have a number on their tattoo. Your tattoo don't." Kurapika punched the man's face really hard. He is right. My number is four.

"Two, Members of the Spiders don't care how many people they've killed. They don't brag" He gave another hard punch.

"And three, never, ever use their name was a way to scare people. I will kill you if you act this foolish again." With that, Kurapika gave his last punch the hardest he can give and then walked away.

He still had an angry expression on him as he walked back to us. As he got closer to us, I felt the fear getting stronger. What do I say?

"Yo, Kurapika you okay?" Leorio asked as he put his hand on Kurapika's shoulder

"I'm fine. Just leave me alone for now." Kurapika said as he shrug Leorio's hand off.

"K-Kurapika..." I said. Starting to stutter.

"Aoi. I'm sorry you have to see me like that. My personality changes whenever I hear about spiders or that group." Kurapika said, sitting at a corner.

"Is it safe to be around you then?" Leorio asked as I just hit his head

"You're such an idiot!" I said as I took a seat next to Kurapika in the corner.

"I'm sorry if I scared you earlier. I'm guessing Leorio told you about my past?" Kurapika said as he looked at me. His scarlet eyes gone and it was back to his blue and black eyes.

"Yeah, Leorio did." I said looking at the ground. "I'm sorry Kurapika. About your clan"

"There is nothing to apologize for" Kurapika said, while putting his hand over mine. "The only apology I want are from members of the Spiders" He said while squeezing my hand.

 _But I am a member of the Spiders,_ I thought to myself. Wishing I could say that.

"So, if there is ever a day, where you face them. What would you do?" I asked. Scared to know his answer but I need to know.

"I would kill them and take back what they took from me" Kurapika said with determination in his tone.

"Oh. I see." Was all I could say.

I can feel tears forming in my eyes but I held them back. I feel horrible. I feel disgusted with myself. Kurapika does have the right to be angry. I can't blame him. I really hope he never bumps into everyone else. They would probably try and kill him too if they ever find out that one person from the Kuruta clan is still alive. I'll make sure our paths would never ever cross.


	9. An Idiot

It's been a few hours since Kurapika had his match with that purple man.

He was still laying on the ground, not moving an inch.

Meanwhile, Kurapika was still sitting in the corner, thinking to himself.

 _I still don't know what to say to Kurapika._

 _I'm worried that things may go wrong and I will lose him._

It still hurts to know that I'm falling in love with the only Kuruta clan member.

This situation made me think back to when I had my first encounter with Hisoka.

He was sent under Chrollo's order to bring me back. Even if it means using force.

 _But why? Why does Chrollo want me back? What does he have in mind?_

Then it hit me.

 _I should've just texted Shalnark! How can I be so gullible._

I took my phone out and started texting him. Sadly, my phone had no signal.

 _I'll try and contact him later._

"For crying out loud! This guy has been lying there for hours! He must be dead! Can't we just move on to the next match!?" Leorio shouted across the hall. "I'll go check if he's alive"

Leorio headed towards the ring and was about to check for a pulse until the bald man with the scar spoke about making a bet.

"Let's make a bet. We'll use the hours we have for wages. Want in?" The scarred man asked.

"Sure. That sounds fun." Leorio said as he walked away from the purple man.

The next couple minutes consisted of Leorio and the scarred man discussing their wages.

Since Kurapika said that he forfeit the match, we didn't get the point needed.

Leorio somehow bet 30 hours worth of our time indicating that the purple freak was dead.

Unfortunately, that freak was still alive. He faked his death just to waste our time.

In the end, Leorio lost his bet and we lose 30 hours.

"Well, now that I won this bet, you have lost 30 hours. You will spend those hours waiting in a room just past us once you complete our matches." said the scarred man.

"What a waste of time" Killua said

"I agree. I think Leorio almost gambled all of our hours away" I said while sighing

"He is an idiot you know" Kurapika said as he walked next to me.

"How are you feeling?" I asked. Still worried about him.

"I'm okay now. Just needed time to cool off." Kurapika said as he smiled at me and I slightly smiled back.

"Finally! I'm the next fighter! Which one of you is coming!? Bring it on!" Leorio screamed as the next person walked into the ring.

This person took off their cloak and it revealed to be a woman.

"Huh? A girl?" Gon questioned

"How interesting. This should be something Leorio would prefer" Kurapika said

"Thank goodness I didn't have to fight that girl" The woman said while pointing at me. "She would have messed up my beautiful face"

"What a snob!" I said while crossing my arms and looking away.

 _She showed her face for a few seconds and already annoyed the heck out of me._

"Don't worry Aoi. You're fight earlier was actually very interesting. I got to see how strong you are and I'm glad to have you in our group" Kurapika said as he smiled at me.

I was blushing but looked away.

I felt sad at the same time.

 _It's hard to fall in love with someone whose going to eventually hate you._

"So, I like that little betting game you played earlier. How about we do that too?" The girl said as she winked at Leorio.

"Okay! Anything for you!" Leorio said with hearts in his eyes.

What. an. idiot.

"Let's bet on whether or not I'm a male or female" she said with a giggle

"Are you kidding me!? She's obviously a female!" I shouted.

"Knowing Leorio, he's going to bet that she is a male" Kurapika said while shaking his head

"I agree. He's a real dunce" Killua said as he nodded his head

"Huh? What? I don't get it. We know she is a girl. Why would Leorio still call her a boy?" Gon questioned

We all ignored Gon and listened to Leorio's answer.

He's too young and naive to know.

"How would I know if I'm right or wrong? If I saw you're a male and I'm wrong, how can you prove it?" Leorio asked

"Easy, all you have to do is search my body" The girl said with a smile.

This made Leorio giggle and he put his hands together.

"Okay! I bet ten hours that you're a male!" Leorio said with a huge grin on his idiotic face

"My God..." I said

"He did it..." Kurapika said

"That perverted man!" Killua shouted

We were all lost for words while Gon was still standing there in confusion.

"So you bet ten hours that I'm a man huh?" The girl said with another giggle

"You betcha!" Leorio said

"Well sorry. I'm still a woman" She said as she twirled in a circle

"Well, there goes our ten hours" I sighed

"No way! I want proof! Let me check! I want to make my ten hours bet worth it!" Leorio shouted

"Fine. Suit yourself" The girl said as she raised her arms in the air for Leorio to search her

So, Leorio started walking closer to her with those greedy hands of his and then Gon started asking questions.

"Hey guys, what is Leorio doing?" Gon asked. "Why did he waste our hours? What did he have in plan?"

I didn't answer Gon's question.

Instead, I put my hands over his eyes to shield him from seeing something a young soul should not see.

"Aoi what are you doing!? Why are you covering my eyes!?" Gon asked

"Sorry Gon. This is for the safety of you to stay pure" I said

"That dumb pervert!" Killua shouted

"He really is an idiot" Kurapika said while shaking his head

After Leorio was done 'searching' that snobby woman, Leorio walked off with a look of satisfaction.

I let go of Gon and he looked around trying to see what happened.

"Are you happy now?" The woman asked with a smirk

"Oh yeah. You bet I am" Leorio said with that perverted smile on his face.

"Okay. Now it's your turn. What would you like to do? Le. O. Rio." She said in a flirty tone

"Ah! I can't hurt a pretty girl like you! Oh man! Aoi maybe you should've came here and fight her!" Leorio shouted towards me

"Fat chance! I fight people who are worthy of my fighting skills, I don't fight snobby people!" I screamed back

"How rude! Maybe you're jealous because I'm prettier than you" She said in her snobby tone

"Excuse me!?" I was about to run towards the ring but Kurapika grabbed my arm.

"Now, now Aoi. Let's not get too hasty. You'll get Leorio disqualified if you go in there" Kurapika said while trying to prevent me from moving.

"I hate snobby girls like her" I said while I let go of Kurapika and stood there, glaring at the snobby woman.

"PICK YOUR CHOICE ALREADY LEORIO!" I screamed which startled everyone.

"Yikes! She's angry." Leorio jumped. "Okay. I made my decision. We're going to play Rock, Paper, Scissors."

"That's it?" Killua said

"I didn't mean it like that" I said while slapping my face with my hand

"Fine by me. I bet 10 hours that I will win" said the snobby girl

"Same here" Leorio said with a smirk

"He's going to lose" I said with a sigh

"If only he was smarter" Killua said as he shrugged

"Leorio! Remember to always use paper! It works for me!" Gon screamed out to Leorio

"Shut up! You're not helping Gon!" Leorio screamed back

"How about I give you a hint then. I'm going to use paper." the snobby said

"What? You're going to tell me what you're putting?" Leorio asked confused

"Is she even telling the truth?" I looked at Kurapika.

"I'm not sure. She could be telling the truth or she could be using some psychological methods to get to Leorio's mind" Kurapika answered.

"I wonder if Leorio is smart enough to make the right decision" I said

"I hope so too. Or else he'll cost us so many hours" Killua said.

Leorio took a long time thinking about what to put which is making him waste more precious time we have in Trick Tower.

"Leorio! Play already!" Gon shouted

"Let's go, you're wasting my time. This is getting boring" The snobby girl said with a yawn.

"Okay! I got this! Let's play!" Leorio shouted "Rock, Paper, SCISSIORS!"

Leorio and the snobby girl put out their hand to reveal their answer.

The rest of us tried to look as close as we could to see who won.

That girl actually had paper out.

Unfortunately for Leorio...

"That idiot put out rock!?" I screamed

"W-What!? Paper!?" Leorio shouted in confusion

"I already told you that I was going to use paper. You're such an idiot" She said as she started to walk back to her group.

"B-But...but..." Leorio stuttered

With a heavy sigh, he walked back to our group.

Each one of us, except for Gon, took a turn and knocked Leorio's head.

"Ouch guys!" He screamed.

"I cannot believe you cost us fifty hours in this tower" Killua said

"We're only left with about ten hours left in this tower when we're finished." Kurapika said with a glaring look.

"Killua, go and end this already." I said as Killua nodded his head and headed to the ring.

"Of course I'll win. Make up for what this old pops did" said Killua

"I'm sorry guys" Leorio said sighing again.

"Shut it!" Kurapika and I screamed at him.

"Be careful Killua!" Gon cheered towrds Kullua.

Killua just waved his hand up as a signal that he'll be alright.

I know we don't personally know Killua yet but I know that there is something about this kid that makes him seem strong.

 _I wonder how skillful he is. This could be interesting._

"So, whose the last guy I'm going against?" Killua asked.

The final person from the other group immediately took off his cloak and came into the ring. He was really tall, with a mustache and he looked like he was from the Western area. The bald man I fought earlier took a few steps forward to introduce the final person.

"Just so you guys know, this person right here is Jones the Mantle"

"J-Jones the Mantle!? No way!" Leorio shouted

"I've heard of this guy before..." Kurapika said

"Huh? Whose this guy suppose to be?" I never heard of him.

"Yeah. Is this man dangerous?" Gon asked

"Dangerous? More like a hundred times worse! He's a serial murderer. He killed almost two-hundred people from Zaban city with his bare hands! He's like a monster" Leorio explained

"Oh I see" I said.

 _How lame. Uvogin is much more stronger than this Jones guy._

"Be careful Killua! This guy is dangerous!" Kurapika shouted

"Relax. This guy means nothing to me" Killua said with a bored expression.

"What? I'm gonna kill you for mocking me kid. You're lucky I'm thirsty to kill some flesh today" Said Jones.

"You sure? I think it's over already" Killua said

We were all confused when Killua said that but within the blink of an eye, Killua was already on the opposite side of the arena.

His right hand was holding onto something. I just couldn't see what it was.

"W-what? How?" Leorio said confused

"Woah. That was fast" said Gon

"W-Wait! My heart! G-Give it back!" Jones cried

"Heart?" I focused my vision onto Killua's hand and he is holding Jones heart.

"Oh sorry. You mean this piece of flesh?" Killua said before popping the heart with his sharp fingernails.

Doing that instantly killed Jones as he fell to the ground.

We were all standing there shocked and amazed.

Heck, I'm very amused from seeing that. Killua seemed to be very skillful kid.

"Looks like we have three points. We can leave this dump now" Killua said as he walked back to our group.

"Hey! You heard him! We can leave now!" Leorio shouted

We all walked up to the other group on the other side. We stood in front of the bald man as he gave us instructions on what to do next.

"Good job on winning. I guess we didn't complete our jobs" He sighed. "There is a small room just through that door. Your friend betted 50 hours and that's how long you'll spend in there. When time is up, you can continue to make your way out of the tower."

"Thank you. Let's go guys!" Gon said as he started marching off.

Everyone else followed him as I was the last person to go through.

But before I go, there's a certain purple freak I want to speak to.

I quickly walked up to the freak and glared at his disgusting face.

"W-wha!? How did you get here so fast!?" He shouted

"Listen here freak." I started. "I did not like how you faked a tattoo of the Phantom Troupe on your back. You disgust me."

"Why should you care?" He asked with an attitude.

"That's because" I said as I took off my glove and showed "I'm one of them"

The purple man started to show fear in his eyes and quickly kneel on the floor.

"F-Forgive me! I didn't mean to mock your name! Please spare me!" He begged

"You're lucky I choose not to kill people anymore. The next time I see you and you're still pretending to be like one of us, I will show no mercy" I said in a heartless tone.

I despise people who mocks the Spiders. It's an insult to me.

The others stared at me in shock.

My facial expression quickly changed when Kurapika came back through the door to find me.

"Aoi? What are you still doing here? We left already" Kurapika said as he approached me.

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to ask them something" I said with a smile.

"Did you get an answer?" He asked

"Yeah I did. So don't worry about it" I said as we both started walking away.

I turned around to see that group one last time as I placed a finger on my lips, signaling them to never tell anyone.

As we're walking to the room, I thought about Kurapika.

 _If only he told us his reason for taking the Hunter Exam back at Whale Island, then I probably would've taken it as an opportunity to stay away from this group._

 _Maybe then I wouldn't have actually fallen in love with this guy. I could've just been on my own and take this exam solo._

 _This sure does suck._


	10. Feelings

We all made it to the small room the scarred man mentioned earlier rested on the couches.

We have fifty hours to spend in this tiny little room.

 _What the heck is there to do?_

"Oi Killua. How did you manage to kill Jones the Mantle within a matter of seconds?" Leorio asked

"Huh? He didn't tell you guys?" Gon questioned

"Tell us what?" I asked

"Killua is from the Zaoldeyck family" Gon said

"The Zaoldeyck family!?" I exclaimed.

This definitely explains how Killua was able to kill Jones instantly. He's from that family. The Zaoldeyck family are well known for being professional assassins.

I remember Chrollo mentioning that he would like to fight them one day. I didn't think I'd end up being friends with one of the Zaoldeyck family members. Let alone me being friends with the sole survivor of the Kuruta clan.

"No wonder you ended it so quick. What did you use?" Kurapika asked

"Well, it's not a skill. Its just my hand. My father does this technique better than me. Even though that mantle guy may be a killer, I'm the real professional. I am an assassin after all" Killua said with a yawn

"That is very interesting. It's cool to be friends with one" I said with a smile.

"Well, since we're here for fifty hours, what are you guys going to do?" Leorio asked

"I'm going to sleep." Killua said as he picked a corner, sat down and closed his eyes.

"Me too! I'm going to sleep!" Gon said as he joined Killua and closed his eyes.

"What about you Aoi?" Kurapika asked

"Me? Oh...uh...I'm not sure. Sleep? Bother Leorio for the whole fifty hours?" I said as I laughed

"Hey! Why would you want to bother me!?" Leorio shouted

"That's because you're the idiot that got us in this room in the first place!" I said as I stuck my tongue out at him.

I sat on the couch while Kurapika joined me.

I wanted to move away but I think it would be obvious that I was trying to avoid him. I kind of don't want to get too close to him for I fear that he'll find out about my secret.

"Hey Aoi, back at the arena, when I saw you fight, it reminded me of something" Kurapika said

"Huh? Reminded you of what?" I asked

Has Kurapika seen me kill his clan before? Did he actually witness me back then? Does he recognize me?

"It reminded me of something when my clan was massacred. Your fighting techniques was very similar to someone I saw from the Phantom Troupe. At first, I actually I thought you were one of them. But then I thought to myself at how ridiculous I would be to accuse you as one of them. So I just want to apologize to you about it" Kurapika said as he gave me a warm smile.

That broke my heart.

 _He shouldn't apologize to me. It should be me. I'm the one whose sorry._

"Please...don't apologize Kurapika. But, what made you change your mind about me?" I asked, curious

"That's because I've grown an interest in you" He said as he smiled at me.

My face was getting red, my heart ached more. I didn't know how to feel. My heart was beating fast too but I wouldn't know if its because of me liking him or me feeling sad for him.

"I-I see..." I stuttered.

"I actually want to get to know you better Aoi. Are you comfortable talking to me about yourself? Or your past?" Kurapika asked as he placed his hand over mine.

I panicked. I don't know how to react. I can't tell him I'm a member of the Phantom Troupe. I just can't. I like him too much to break his heart.

Flashbacks of what I've done four years ago was replaying in my head. I unconsciously kept tugging at my glove to make sure it stayed on me and that I'm not revealing my tattoo to Kurapika.

"Aoi? Are you okay? You're playing with your glove. Does your hand hurt? Here. Let me have a look" Kurapika was about to remove my glove and I quickly moved it away.

"S-Sorry Kurapika. I'm fine. I'm just a bit tired. That's all." I said

"Oh I see. You're right. Those fights we had were a bit tiresome. Good thing we have these fifty hours to take advantage of. I'll leave you alone and let you sleep." With that, Kurapika got up and sat near Leorio to talk to him.

I laid down on the couch and turned my face towards the back of the couch. I didn't want anyone to see me. I started to shed a few tears. Everything that happened just now was too much for me. Why is it fate for us to meet? What does God have in plan for us?

* * *

These fifty hours has finally passed by and we were ready to continue our journey out of Trick Tower.

"We only have less than ten hours left to get out of here. I suggest we go through this as fast as possible!" Kurapika said.

We all nodded in agreement and ran as fast as we could through the halls and floors.

We went through a lot of the 'majority rule' questions on choosing paths to go to. Few of the paths we chose were set with traps which was a pain in the butt for us.

" _There is one hour left on Trick Tower. All examiners please find your way to the bottom."_ Said the intercom.

"What!? We have an hour left!?" Leorio shouted

"Will we make it in time!?" I asked, hoping someone would respond

"I don't know, we'll just have to see" Kurapika said as we all kept running as fast as we could

"Look! There's another path!" Gon said as we approached to what I hope is the last 'majority rule' question.

We all read the board and it said to press 'O' if five people wants to pass through but it will take forty-five hours to get down or we can press 'X' for three of us to continue and the remaining two be chained on the wall. This path is a shorter path that will take three minutes to the bottom.

"This is tough. If we choose 'X', then only three of us can go." Kurapika said while thinking.

"Even if we do choose 'X', I'm pretty sure none of us want to stay behind. If it ever comes to that point, I will fight for my spot." Killua said.

"We're not going to fight" Gon said

"Then how do you expect all five of us to go through?" Leorio asked

"We find another way" Gon responded

"Well I say we should choose 'X' and fight for our spots. It's the only way" Leorio said just as he was about to press a button.

"No!" Gon shouted

"No? No!? Are you crazy Gon!? Its obvious we have to choose the shorter path!" Leorio screamed

"And I said no! I'm choosing 'O'." Gon said

"Why!?"

"Because I want all five of us to pass without anyone getting left behind! We came here together, we leave together! As a team!"

"But we'll fail if we choose the longer path!"

Leorio and Gon continued to argue while I took the time to look around the room. There were two wooden tables with chains around for the two people to give up their spots. There were also weapons all over the walls. Ready to be wield if people were to ever fight in here. I wish there was a way for all five of us to take the shorter path.

"Enough! Stop fighting you two! This isn't going to help!" Kurapika yelled

"Yeah or else you'll end up fighting for real" Killua said

"This is really frustrating! How do you expect us to get across if we can't choose the short path Gon!?" Leorio picked up his briefcase and we all thought he was going to hit Gon with it but instead, he slammed it on the floor. Bits of pieces of the ground broke off and I noticed Gon staring at it. I think he got an idea.

"Gon? Did you have something in mind?" I asked

"yeah! I just thought of something. I just need all five of us to press 'O'." Gon said.

"What!? Didn't I just say we shouldn't press 'O'!?" Leorio shouted

"Trust me on this. I know how to get us out by pressing 'O'" Gon said

"No! I do not agree with you!" Leorio said

"Leorio. Just do it. I trust Gon." I said hoping he'll listen. "Please. Gon knows what he's doing. Just trust him"

Leorio stood there and stared at me until he finally said something.

"Alright. I'll trust Gon. Let's press the stupid button already"

We all put our trust on Gon and pressed the 'O' button. The door to the longer path opened.

"Well, now what Gon?" Kurapika asked

Gon went up to the wall of weapons and picked up an axe and pointed it to the wall inside the longer path that is next to the shorter path.

"We're going to use these weapons and break down this wall. If we break it down, then we can cross through the shorter path and all five of us can pass this exam" Gon said with a smile.

I smiled too. It was a brilliant plan. I can't believe this kid can think so creatively. I'm amazed by it.

"Aoi. You understood his plan right?" Kurapika asked

"Yup I do!" I said

With that, Kurapika and I picked a weapon as well and joined Gon to chop down the wall. Leorio and Killua continued what we were doing when we took a rest. We continued back and forth until the wall was finally broken.

It took us a while but we finally did it.

"It worked!" Leorio said

"I told you! The five of us can go through now!" Gon shouted

"Nice work Gon" Killua said with a thumbs up

"Even though we broke the wall, our timer says we only have less than three minutes left" Kurapika said as we all looked at our devices.

"Oh no! Our plan just went to waste! We'll never make it in time!" Leorio shouted

I looked around the room again. I noticed there was a huge shield that could fit all five of us in. And according to my calculations, this short path should be going downhill which means we can slide our way down. We can get to the bottom faster. So what can we use to slide ourselves down? Unless...

"Killua" I said

"Huh? Yes Miss Aoi?"

"Can we use your skateboard?" I asked

"My skateboard? For what?" He asked

I approached the shield and picked it up. Then I grabbed Killua's skateboard, placed it on the ground and explained my idea to them.

"I was just thinking about that Aoi!" Gon said in excitement

"I agree with Aoi. This is a good idea" Kurapika nodded in agreement

"Then what are we waiting for!? let's go!" Leorio said as he hopped on the shield and skateboard

We all sat on the skateboard and Gon was in the front with his fishing rod, using it as a steering wheel. The order went from Gon, Killua, Leorio, Kurapika then me.

"Aoi, This board may be a bit unbalanced, hold onto me tight if you think you're going to fall off, okay?" Kurapika looked at me as I blushed.

"o-okay" I stuttered

"Are we ready guys? Hold on tight!" Gon said as we pushed off into the shorter path.

We were sliding down the path at an incredible speed. I wrapped my arms tight around Kurapika's waist. I felt like I was going to fly off of this thing.

"We're going too fast Gon!" Leorio shouted

"Just hold on everyone! I see the exit right in front of us!" Gon screamed

I looked up and saw a bright light just at the end of the hall. As soon as we passed through, I noticed that a lot of people were already here. Even Hisoka, he stood up from where he was sitting and started clapping. What I didn't notice was that Gon had lost control of the skateboard.

"Hold on!"

Gon swerved a hard left which made me lose my grip on Kurapika. I felt myself flying off of the board and heading straight towards a wall.

"Aoi!" I heard Kurapika scream and saw him reaching his hand out for me. I reached for him too but my hand was nowhere near his.

Just as I was about to his the wall, I felt someone catch me to prevent me from hitting the wall. I had my eyes closed the entire time so when I opened them to look, I saw that it was Hisoka that caught me. He saved me just in time.

"My, my. I cannot let that cute face hit the wall. You're lucky I caught you or else Chrollo would've been disappointed about your possible injury."

I just glared at Hisoka. Him and his taunts. It's not going to scare me.

"Thank you for saving me Hisoka" I said

"Just be careful next time" Was all he said. He gently put me down and walked away and I noticed that he and Gon were staring at each other for quite a bit.

I was approached by my friends shortly after.

"Aoi! Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Kurapika asked, sounding really worried

"I'm okay. I'm not hurt anywhere." I said with a smile. Thankful that Kurapika cared about me

"Good. I was scared you were going to get hurt really bad" Kurapika said as he sighed in relief.

"Aoi. I'm so sorry. I lost control when we got down here" Gon said with a sad expression. I patted his head.

"No worries Gon. I'm alright. So you're fine." I said smiling at Gon

"Good thing you're still alive. We made it just in time for the timer to hit zero. We all passed the third part of the exam" Leorio said

"That's great! We made it!" I shouted in joy.

"Aoi!" I heard someone scream and running towards me.

I looked to see who it was and it was Hanzo.

"Hello Hanzo. Glad to see you made it out of this tower" I said with a smile.

"Oh man! I knew you would make it! A pretty girl like you is bound to be a strong person too. I waited forever for you to arrive down here" Hanzo said while grabbing my hands

"Uh...thank you?" I asked in confusion

"You know I could have rescued you if it wasn't for Hisoka being in my way" Hanzo said as he glared at Hisoka

"Oh, I see" I said with a slight nervous laugh. "Were you the first one here Hanzo?"

"I thought I was at first but then I realized I was the third person here" Hanzo said as he let go of my hands

"Third? Who were the first two?" I asked

"Hisoka was the first person to make it. Then it was some other creepy looking guy but I could care less about him."

"I see. Well at least we all made it down here" I said with a smile

Hanzo began to give me a weird look. It was kind of creepy. He's sorta drooling.

"Aoi?" I turned around to see Kurapika approaching me

"Yes Kurapika?"

"I just want to say, thank you for listening earlier. I know learning about my past may be a bit hard on you. Especially the fact that we only known each for a few days. I feel like I can get closer to you. I definitely want to know you more"

Kurapika put his hands on my shoulders. He was staring into my eyes. I feel like my heart was going to burst.

I feel like crying. I feel like hugging him. I feel like confessing to him. I feel like running away.

"I see" I said with a sad expression

"Why are you sad?" He asked

"I'm just sorry about what happened to your clan. That's all" I said as I looked at the ground. Unable to even give him eye contact at the moment.

I could tell Kurapika was going to say something but it was interrupted with the doors opening. A short man walked in and introduced himself.

"Good job to all of you that made it this far. I am the Blacklist Hunter, Lippo"

"Pft. What a tiny man" Leorio said while Gon elbowed him

"Sshh"

"I hope this part of the exam wasn't too hard for you. Things are about to get harder when we get to our next destination" Lippo snapped his fingers and the door opened to the outside.

We all walked through and noticed an airship, that is a lot bigger than the one Netero took us on, just outside of the tower.

"We will all board onto this plane to head to our next destination" Lippo said

"Woah! We're going on that!?" Gon said in excitement

"That thing is huge" I said to myself

"Let's get going. The ride to the next location will take a couple of hours. I suggest you find an area to rest until then. Now, let's go"

With that, Lippo went inside the airship as everyone else joined him. We all explored the area and picked a lounge that we felt comfortable in.

I didn't really pay attention to what my friends were saying. I was too focused on my own thoughts.

What should I do about Kurapika? I feel a roller coaster of emotions when I'm around him. I feel sad, pain, fear, and even love. Why do I have to fall in love with him? I know I always asked that in my head but it's true. What on earth does God have in plan for me?

It's not fair for Kurapika. He doesn't even know the truth about me yet he's being so kind to me. What should I do? Maybe I shouldn't have left the Spiders. That way I would've never met Kurapika and the others. I probably wouldn't have fallen in love with him too. If only I can find a way to escape all of these feelings.


	11. Hotel, Keys and a Pendant

We finally arrived to our new location after what felt like forever on that airship. I noticed that we landed on a small island-like area with many sunken ships surrounding us. Everyone looked around in confusion and Lippo's plane took off without giving a word to us.

"Wait. Is this where our next part of the exam will take place?" Leorio asked

"I have no clue. But this place sure seems weird" I said.

This area was giving me a weird vibe.

"I feel sick from that plane ride" Gon said as he tried to prevent himself from vomiting

"Don't do that near me!" Killua said as he moved his skateboard away from Gon

"Look over there guys, I think its a hotel" Kurapika said as he pointed at the only building seen on this island

All of us examinees walked towards the building as I continued to observe the area. There's a huge number of sunken ships here. This island looks like a peaceful area. It doesn't show any danger around here that could explain all the abandoned ships.

"I see people coming out of the building" Leorio said as everyone stopped walking and watched.

It was an old couple that came out. They both approached all of us with a smile.

"Welcome to our island. This is our hotel" said the old couple

"You're our new proctors?" Gon asked

"No we are not. All of you were taken to this island for a place to stay overnight. Your next part of the exam will start in three days. For today, you are all welcome to stay in our hotel. My name is Banah, this is my husband, Jinah and we are the hotel managers." Said Banah.

"Next part of the exam in three days? So you expect us to just stay here the whole time?" Hanzo asked

"Yup. Spend the next three days here. This hotel was built from the Hunter's association." said Jinah

"Well, I guess we could all use a break. It has been stressful the past few days" Kurapika said

"That is true, I could use a shower. I feel like a mess" I added

With that, we all proceeded to walk inside the hotel until Banah and Jinah stopped us.

"Wait a minute" said Banah

"It costs ten million zeni to stay at each room" Jinah said with a smile

"Did you just say-" I was cut short by Leorio's idiotic scream

"TEN MILLION ZENI!?"

"You're charging us that much?" Gon asked

"That's..." Killua said, lost at words

"Way too expensive" Kurapika finished

"Excuse me Banah and Jinah, but how do you expect us to pay for these rooms? None of us have that kind of money. Is there an alternative?" I asked.

Ten million zeni is a crazy number to ask for. I know the Phantom Troupe has treasures worth more than that but we never cash them in. We just keep those treasures.

"If all of you are in a tight financial situation, there is an alternate way to pay us" Banah said with a smile.

"What's the alternate way?" Leorio asked

"You'll have to find treasured items for us" Jinah said

"Huh? Treasured items?" Gon questioned

"How do you expect us to find treasured items in this island?" Hanzo asked

"I'm pretty sure you all have noticed the sunken ships around the island" said Banah

"Each of these sunken ships hold valuable items worth millions. We would like all of you to go out there and find us those unique treasures." Jinah added. "If we think the treasure you found has some worth, then you get a room key as a reward."

"Treasure hunt!? Too easy!" Leorio shouted as he already ran towards the dock and jumped into the ocean water

"Thanks for the information. I'll bring back all the good looking treasures for you" I said with a smile as I jumped into the water

Everyone else joined in and scattered around the island for treasures. Each ship had different kind of good looking treasures and it was making my eyes lit up. Even though I don't enjoy the idea of killing anymore, treasure hunting back with the Phantom Troupe has always been my favorite. So this task should be a piece of cake to me.

 _But it wasn't._

* * *

I spent almost an hour looking at each treasure item found and they were all worthless junk. Some of the items were either fake or badly damaged. This task made me a bit annoyed because of the fact that I can't find some good treasures.

"This is so stupid! Treasure hunting for a stupid room key" Leorio said in annoyance

"Didn't you just say that this was going to be easy for you?" I said, looking at Leorio

"Yeah well, I changed my mind" He said as he stuck his tongue out at me

"Aoi, did you manage to find any treasures?" Kurapika asked as he walked up to me

"Not really, most of the stuff I found were either broken or fake" I said while pouting

"Don't worry. Maybe you'll find more treasures at a different area. I found mine already" Kurapika said as he held up a huge pearl necklace. That thing looks like its worth a lot

"That's cool. I'm going to those ships in the farther area. So I'll see you later?" I said

"Yup. See you soon" Kurapika said as he walked off towards the hotel

I dived underwater and started swimming to the other ships until I saw Hanzo swimming towards we and I went up for some air.

"Hi there Aoi!" Hanzo said in excitement

"Hello Hanzo."

"Check out the treasures I found" He said as he showed me a golden crown with different kinds of jewels around them.

"Woah. This crown looks like it belongs to the West, like from a king or an emperor" I said, my eyes glittering.

"Yeah. I think its the best thing I can find around here. Have you gotten anything yet?" He asked

"No. I'm still looking." I said with a smile

"Okay. I'm going to turn this in. I hope you find something." Hanzo said while smiling at me. "I'll see you later Aoi! I hope you get a room next to mine!"

Hanzo swam off. I couldn't help but to laugh. I know Hanzo likes me but it's just flattering whenever he talks to me. I hope he knows that I do have someone else in mind. Kurapika.

I noticed that many people have found treasures and are already getting their room keys. I'm one of the last couple of people left to find something. I need to find one fast because it is also starting to get dark.

I swam to the farthest ship around the island and went inside. This ship was completely wrecked compared to the other ships. There were many skeletal corpses around. It seemed as if the people on this ship never had a chance to leave before their deaths.

I went into one of the rooms and it was filled with jewelry and other treasures but one caught my eye. A golden pendant shaped like a lizard with wings. This pendant was stuck on one of the skeleton's hands and I gently removed it without breaking a bone. I observed the pendant more and it had a single gem in the middle. The gem was a scarlet red color. Similar to Kurapika's eyes.

That made me think about Kurapika and the Kuruta clan again. I was getting sad. This pendant does resemble the scarlet color of the Kuruta clan. Does it belong to them?

Without thinking, I placed it in my pocket and headed back to the hotel. I don't know if this pendant is worth something but maybe this might mean something to Kurapika.

I got back to the hotel and saw Banah and Jinah sitting at a bench outside of the building.

"My. You're the last person to come back" Banah said

"What? I'm the last one?" I asked

"Indeed you are. Everyone else managed to find a room. Were you able to find any treasures for us?" Jinah said as he smiled

I took the pendant out of my pocket and showed it to them.

"I've done treasure hunting in the past. I noticed that a lot of them were fake or heavily damaged. I ended up finding this pendant. I've never seen it before nor do I know if it means much. Do you know what this is?" I asked

Jinah grabbed the pendant and studied it for a minute.

"Why...this is a protective golden pendant. This is from the Kuruta clan" Jinah said

My gaze quickly shifted to the ship I went before. Was the ship I explored earlier part of the Kuruta clan? Were these people already here before we showed up to massacre their clan?

"This pendant is real but it does not have any worth" Jinah said.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I can go back to look for more treasures if you want me to" I was about to head back into the water until Banah stopped me.

"No you don't have to. Going through the trouble of finding this item has gotten you a room key" Banah said as she gave me a key

"What really?" I questioned

"Yes, you can have this item back" Jinah said as he handed the pendant back to me. "As for your room, I forgot to mention earlier that each key you get depends on the treasure you find. Each of you will also have a roommate. So enjoy"

"Wow. Thank you so much for your kindness" I said while bowing to them. I was about to go inside until a thought came to my mind.

"Tell me something. Do you know how long that ship was there?" I asked while pointing at the ship where I got the pendant from.

"I'm sorry but we don't know" Banah said

"That ship was already there when we arrived here since our first day of working here" Jinah added

"Oh I see. Thank you very much for your help"

With that, I went inside and headed to my room.

* * *

"What on earth!?" I yelped as a snake wrapped around my leg

My room full of snakes. Literally full of snakes.

Jinah did mention about having a roommate. Mine just happened to be some kind of snake freak. The snake man was in the middle of playing on his flute until he stopped to look at me.

"I guess we're roommates" He said and then continue to play his instrument.

"Well, this is goodbye" I said.

I rushed out of the room and locked it before any snakes got out.

 _I feel like I'm gonna go crazy if I stayed there._

"I guess I'll have to find another room to sleep in or just be room less" I said to myself as I sighed.

I walked around the hotel area until I noticed a balcony on the second floor. I walked through the balcony doors and I see Killua and Gon fishing.

"Aoi! You finally got a room!" Gon said with joy

"I thought you were never going to find any treasure" Killua said without looking back at me

"Well I found something that got me a key" I said while smiling. "What are you guys fishing for?"

"Dinner! Do you want some Aoi?" Gon asked

"Ah. Nah. I'm not that hungry. You kids can enjoy it" I said "Have you guys seen Kurapika by any chance?"

"Yeah. He should be in his room. It's right next to our room down the right corner, last door" Killua said, pointing the directions to me.

"Thanks a lot!" I said as I hi-fived Killua and Gon and headed to Kurapika's room.

When I found the room, I knocked on the door and Leorio was the one who opened it.

"Leorio?"

"Yo. What's up Aoi? Looks like you finally got a key" He said while smiling

"Yeah I did but I got some freaky snake guy. So I just had to leave that area" I said "Kurapika's your roommate?"

"Technically, Hanzo was supposed to but neither of them liked the idea of being roommates so I switched with Hanzo." Leorio said with a shrug

"Oh I see. I just saw Killua and Gon fishing out at the balcony." I said, pointing at the direction of the balcony

"Fishing? They better catch me some dinner!" Leorio shouted. "If you're waiting for Kurapika, he's taking a shower, you can wait inside"

Leorio opened the door more for me to come in.

"Yo! Kurapika! Aoi is here to speak to you! I'm going fishing with Gon and Killua!" Leorio shouted

He winked at me and gave me a thumbs up before leaving the room.

 _What an idiot._

It's not like anything is going to happen in this room.

I sat on one of the beds and took out my glove to look at my tattoo.

 _A spider with twelve legs with the number 4 on it._

This is what has gotten me into all of these situations. Then I looked at my number. 4 again.

 _Hisoka is my replacement. I wonder if he has the tattoo with my number on it._

I heard the bathroom door open and I immediately put my glove back on. I was then greeted by Kurapika.

"Hey Aoi. Glad to see that you managed to get a room key" He said with a smile.

His hair was wet and the steam coming out from the bathroom made his black and blue eyes glow. It was making my face red.

"Do you need anything?" Kurapika asked.

He sat on his bed and tussled through his blond hair with his towel while I shake my head to snap back to reality.

"Yeah. I wanted to show you something." I pulled the pendant out and showed it to Kurapika.

The moment he looked at it, his eyes turned into that beautiful scarlet color.

"Where...did you get this?" Kurapika asked, lost at words

"I-I went to this abandoned ship, far from all the other ships. I think that ship I was at belonged to the Kuruta clan" I said with my head down.

"Do you mind taking me there?" He asked

"Sure. Follow me" I said as I got up from the bed.

We both walked out the door and I led Kurapika to the abandoned ship.

We carefully got on the ship and gazed at our surroundings.

"Do you happen to know how long this ship has been here?" Kurapika asked

"Not really. I asked Jinah and Banah but they said that it was already here when they worked at this island" I answered

"I see" With that, Kurapika started going from room to room.

We passed by the skeletal corpses that I've seen earlier and he continued to look around.

"Kurapika, does this ship belong to the Kuruta clan?" I asked.

"Seeing that the pendant came from this ship, most likely yes" He answered

"Oh..."

Kurapika found a full gasoline tank in one of the rooms and picked it up. He then started to pour the gas all around the ship.

"Are you planning on burning the ship?" I asked

"Yes." He said "Do you have anything I can use to light this place up?"

"Uhm..." I fumbled through my pockets. I found some matches and tossed them to Kurapika.

We walked outside of the ship and Kurapika lit the matches. He threw them onto the ship as we headed back to the hotel. We stood on the docks and watched the ship burn from afar.

"The scarlet eyes..." Kurapika whispered

"Huh?" I asked in confusion

"The Kuruta clan. Our eyes turn into that color whenever we are emotional. If we die with those colors in our eyes, then our eyes will permanently stay scarlet. Usually bandits and criminals yearn for these eyes because they are the most beautiful thing in the world." Kurapika said

"So, that's why the Phantom Troupe killed your clan huh?" I said.

I felt weird for asking that. I already knew the answer but it was also weird pretending that I'm not a member from that group.

"Yes. Those who were slaughtered by them, had their eyes taken away. I don't know why this Kuruta ship is here but I am glad that they were never in the hands of the Spiders" Kurapika said as he closed his eyes.

"I see"

My heart was pounding. My hands were shaking. I started playing with my glove again. I want to just rip it off and show him who I really am. But I can't. I'll get killed. I like him too much to hurt him. My heart aches.

"I think we should head back Kurapika. It's getting really late" I whispered

"You're right."

As the flames died down, Kurapika took the pendant out and threw it as far as he could into the ocean water.

"I swear I will destroy the Phantom Troupe and get back those stolen eyes. I will have my revenge. So in the meantime, please, sleep peacefully"

I tear rolled down my face. This was really heart breaking. It hurts that I am in love with him too.

Kurapika turned around and looked at me. His eyes went back to normal

"Aoi? Are you alright? You're crying" He said as he used his thumb to wipe the tear off my face.

"I'm fine. It's just heartbreaking to hear you say those words" I said as I looked at the ground

"I'm sorry for making you feel that way" Kurapika said as he lifted my head up and smiled. "You're probably tired. Would you like me to walk you to your room?"

"Oh...no. It's okay. I would like some time for myself if you don't mind" I said, slightly smiling back

"Okay. Be safe then. Good night" He said as he headed back to his room.

I stayed out here and looked at the Kuruta ship. They're lucky they didn't go through that blood shed.

"I'm sorry" I whispered. "I'm so sorry for what I've done in the past."

I looked around, making sure no one heard me. I kept talking to myself quietly

"My killing spree is all in the past. I want to become a better person. I want Kurapika to learn to forgive if he ever finds out. I wish he can accept my apology if I ever decide to tell him. I hope all of you can forgive me too"

I turned around and walked inside the building. I don't know if talking to the dead actually worked but it managed to get these thoughts off my chest.


	12. Card Games

I was walking down the hotel hallway, heading back to my room with the freaky snake guy until I noticed Banah speaking to a girl.

I looked at her and noticed that she has a Hunter's number pin on her chest. I actually never noticed any other girls taking the exam until now. She's the first female examinee I noticed since day one.

She was short with a mint haired color. She wore a baggy pink uniform and her hat was a bit over-sized for her too. It looked like as if she is storing things in her hat.

"I'm telling you I'll go crazy if I stay overnight with him!" Yelled the girl. "Can I please switch rooms?"

"I'm sorry but all the rooms are occupied. There are no available rooms for you to move to" said Banah.

I wonder who that girl is talking about. If anything, I sort of want to switch rooms too. I can't stay in a room full of snakes. Way too weird for me.

"Please! I'll die in my sleep! It's Hisoka! He's really creepy! I can't stand it!" the girl yelled again

 _Woah. Hisoka?_

She'll definitely die in her sleep if she stays with him.

"Maybe I can switch with her." I whispered to myself quietly.

I do need to talk to him privately. This could be a perfect opportunity for me.

"Hi there. Sorry for intruding but I couldn't help but to hear that you wanted to switch rooms?" I quetioned as I approached the two.

"Yes! I can't stand being in the same room with Hisoka. Do you know any empty rooms around here?" She asked

"Well not really. But I am willing to switch rooms with you. I have a freaky snake loving man in my room and I'm freaked out by that." I said with a small laugh

"You'll switch with me!?" She said in joy.

"I can allow this. As long as you're still within this building, you two can switch" Banah said with a smile

"Oh wow! Thank you so much!" She said as we switched room keys.

"Are you okay with staying in a room full of snakes?" I asked

"It doesn't matter to me. As long as I'm not staying with Hisoka" She said in disgust.

"I see. Enjoy the room then" I said with a smile.

"My name is Ponzu by the way" She said.

"Nice to meet you Ponzu, I'm Aoi" I said, happy to meet a new face.

We both shake hands and smiled at each other. Then we headed to our new rooms.

It was a nice feeling to meet a new friend. Someone completely new who knows nothing about you.

I sort of wished I had the opportunity to meet new friends back then. My only friends were the Phantom Troupe before the Hunter's exam. I kind of missed them. It feels pretty lonely sometimes.

I walked up to my new room and used the key to open the door. Hisoka was sitting on his bed, playing cards.

"My. If it isn't the girl with the cute face" He said with his creepy smile.

"My name is Aoi" I said while glaring at him.

"What happened to my other cute roommate?" He asked

"I switched with her. I didn't like my original roommate" I said

"So you want to be with me instead?"

"I am only here because I wanted to speak to you. Privately" I said with a glare again

"My, my. You do have such a cute face. Makes me wonder how you were like back then" Hisoka said with a laugh

"Can I ask you a couple of questions?" I asked as I sat on the bed next to his

"I will only answer questions if you pick the right card" He said as he laid out some cards around the bed.

"Seriously?" I said in an annoyed tone

"What? Don't want to play with me?" He said while waving a card around.

I groaned and picked up a random card. I didn't have time for his games. I looked at the card and it was the number four.

"Number four. How ironic" He said with a grin. "What is your first question?"

"Are you really here under orders of Chrollo or do you actually know who I am and you're just messing with me?" I asked

"No. I am under Chrollo's order" He said with a smile

"Since you're my replacement, why did you join the Phantom Troupe?"

He zipped his lips and pointed at the cards again. His stupid games. I picked up another random card and it was the Jack of Diamonds.

"Oh. Sorry. I always hated this card. I won't answer this question" He said with a fake frown

"Okay. What is Chrollo's reason for wanting me back?" I said as I picked up another card. It was an Ace of Hearts.

"Not answering that question either. I don't like that card" He said with his arms crossed

"You're starting to get on my nerves Hisoka" I said annoyed.

"Keep playing. I'll answer how ever many questions you have" He said

"How will you bring me back to the group if I refuse to go with you?" I said.

I picked a card from the bottom row on the right and it was a Joker card.

"My favorite card" He smiled. "He said that I can do whatever I want as long as it makes you come back to the group. Even if it means I have to kill your circle of friends"

His grin grew wider and his smile was creepier. My eyes widened in fear. Not fear of Hisoka, but fear for my friends. I don't want them to get hurt.

"Don't you dare lay a hand on them" I growled

"But I think killing them may be boring. So I have another interesting plan in mind" He said while tapping on his temple.

"Why do you mean by that?" I asked

"You'll see" He said as he got up and walked into the bathroom.

Pretty soon, I hear the shower running. So I took out my phone to see if I can send a message to Shalnark.

Again, my phone had no signal.

Did the Hunter association purposefully placed us in areas where there are no phone signals? It's getting really annoying.

* * *

I observed the cards Hisoka left on the bed. The edges were really sharp and they were super light.

 _These cards are really dangerous. No wonder he was able to kill people easily with this._ I thought as I shivered.

I actually did like the fact that each Spider member had their own unique fighting skills.

For example, I use musical instruments as weapons for different purposes. Hisoka uses cards as a way to fight. Chrollo steals other people's skills for his own purposes. Paku taps into people's memories by touching us and stores the memories in bullets. Shalnark is able to control people by using his phone.

I could name what each member does but there's too many. Thinking about my friends made me sad. I do wish to be back with them. It's like feeling home sick.

"Feeling sad?"

I heard Hisoka step out of the bathroom and I turned around to look at him.

I did regret turning around because he is wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. I quickly shut my eyes because just seeing him almost naked was embarrassing.

"Hisoka! Put some clothes on!" I said while covering my hands to my face. I have never seen a guy like that before and Hisoka just happened to be the first person I've seen without clothes.

"Oh? But I was starting to get comfortable around you" He said with a chuckle.

"You're unbelievable Hisoka." I said as I turned around and faced against the wall while Hisoka started to change

"How are you able to kill people without empathy?" I asked

"I don't know, you were like that long ago" He said, still changing

"No. I use to kill people but I did have a sense of guilt" I said with a sad look. My guilt eventually came after killing the Kuruta clan.

"I do like your company. You're such an interesting person" He said

"What makes you say that?" I asked

"Because, you're different than all the other people in that group. You show emotions that no one else expresses"

I knew he meant the Spiders. I'm the only one who showed empathy. No one else. Not even Shalnark.

"You can open your eyes now" Hisoka said

I turned back around and see that Hisoka is wearing his clothes again. What a relief.

"Hm? I see you weren't interested in my body at all" He said with a smirk

"Just so you know Hisoka, I'm only seventeen" I said with a glare

"Nine years is nothing" He said as he picked up his cards from the bed

"You're disgusting" I said

"I'm only toying with you." Hisoka said with a laugh. "I would never do anything vile like that"

I didn't know what to think. Hisoka is an evil person but he also seem to joke around.

"You're just as interesting as that little boy in your circle of friends"

I knew he meant Gon.

"Leave my friends out of this. They don't need to know" I said

"Oh? You don't want them to know about our little secret?" He said as he walked closer to me

"What are you talking about?" I asked

"Hmm. Well let's just say I highly doubt you'll be able to keep your little secret to yourself. Your secret to the Kuruta will slip up soon" He said with a wide smirk.

"If you're planning on telling Kurapika, Don't you dare" I said with a glare

"Why not? Is it because you're in love with that boy?" He asked with a wink

"N-no..." Maybe I am but I didn't want Hisoka to know.

"Well. It is obvious to me you love him" He said

"W-wha..." I was lost at words. _Obvious?_

"It's been fun talking to you Aoi." Hisoka said as he started walking towards the door. "I'm bored of this room. Have fun for the next three days"

"Where are you going?" I turned to look at him

"Going out."

With that, Hisoka left the room and the only thing I did was sit there and think. I don't know what to do. I don't want to go back to the group. I have no clue what Chrollo has in plan for me. If I refuse to leave with Hisoka, he might do something crazy to my friends.

"I don't know what to do!" I screamed as I grabbed a pillow and threw it against the wall.

There was a knock at the door after a couple of seconds. I picked up the pillow and opened the door. Behind the door was Leorio.

"L-Leorio?" What is he doing here?

"Yo. Mind if I come in?" He asked

"Uh...sure..."

Leorio walked in the room and leaned against the wall while I sat on the bed.

"Are you okay Aoi?" He asked

"Yeah. Why do you ask?" I said in confusion.

"I heard you scream something before"

"Oh. I see"

"Is there something going on with you?" Leorio asked as I look at him

"No!...I mean...there is nothing going on..." I said

"You're lying"

"What makes you think I'm lying?" I asked

"I may not be a real doctor yet, but I can tell when a person is lying." He said

"How are you sure?" I asked

"I noticed that you play with your right glove whenever there's a situation that makes you nervous or scared. Tell me Aoi. What is going on? I went to your old room before but that cute girl said that you switched with her. And then she proceeded to tell me that Hisoka is your roommate. I know there must be a reason to why you're willing to room with that psychotic killer" Leorio said in a serious tone.

"Well, I just didn't want her to be stuck with Hisoka, that's all" I said

"You're lying" Leorio said as he pointed at my hands. I was playing with my glove unconsciously.

"Why are you hiding something from us?" He asked

"I-I can't tell you..."

"Why?"

"Because...It's something that all of you would hate me for...especially Kurapika...he would be hurt the most" I said, looking at the wall with a sad expression.

"Don't tell me..." Leorio had a look as if he figured out what my situation is.

I gave a huge sigh and started removing my glove, the glove was close to revealing my tattoo until Leorio spoke.

"Don't tell me you're in love with Hisoka!?" Leorio shouted

I was startled by him saying that, that I quickly put my glove back on.

"That's probably why you wanted to switch rooms! You're in love with Hisoka!" Leorio shouted again

I grabbed a pillow and threw it at him as hard as I could.

"You Idiot! I am NOT in love with Hisoka!"

How on earth did that idiot come to that conclusion? What an idiot.

"Wait so if you're not, then why are you rooming with him?" He asked

"I'm not telling you" I crossed my arms and looked away

"I still think it's because you like Hisoka" Leorio snickered

"No I don't! I'm in love with someone else!" I quickly covered my mouth when I said that. It just slipped out.

"Ha! I knew it! It is Kurapika you're in love with! I'm so right!" Leorio said as he started dancing in celebration

"You idiot!" I grabbed his ear and kicked him out of my room.

"Wait! Aoi! I'm kidding! I won't tell anyone I swear!" Leorio pleaded

"You better not. I'll see you later. Idiot" I slammed the door and jumped on my bed.

I started crying.

 _I feel like a fool._

I almost revealed the truth to Leorio. I almost risked my own life if he were to tell Kurapika the truth. I might as well go back with Hisoka. It wouldn't be a bad idea. No one would get hurt and I won't hurt Kurapika's feelings.

I closed my eyes and went to sleep. Then I started thinking to myself.

 _I wish I never left the Phantom Troupe._


	13. 404

_"Tonight, we will go to the Kuruta clan and kill every one of them. We are there to steal their eyes" Chrollo said as we all bowed to him._

 _"Oh man, those eyes are going to be worth a fortune when I get my hands on them" Nobunaga said as he took out his sword and swung it around, pretending to slash the air_

 _"What's so special about their eyes boss?" I asked Chrollo_

 _"They're the only clan that obtain the 'scarlet eyes'. Their eyes turns into that color when they get emotional. It is also told that if they die with those eyes, then it stays like that forever. Even through death and it does not decay" Shalnark said as he wrap his arm around my shoulder_

 _"Aoi, I would like you to use your cello to take control on one of them. That way we can have easy access to their village without getting caught" Chrollo said_

 _"Sure, no problem boss" I said with a smile._

 _"Oh yeah! Killing spree again!' Uvogin said in excitement_

 _"Do I clean up the bodies with my vacuum?" Shizuku asked_

 _"Yes you do. Chrollo just mentioned it a minute ago Shizuku" Machi said with a sigh_

 _"Oh, I don't recall" Shizuku said while scratching her head._

 _I chuckled at her air-headedness. Once she forgets something, she can never ever remember it._

 _"Let's go everyone. It's time to get those eyes" Chrollo said as we all followed him._

 _We reached to the Kuruta village and it was time for me to play my part. I stepped in the area and approached a clan member._

 _"Excuse me sir" I said as I approached a man with a blue tribal uniform._

 _"Oh. Hello. What is a young girl like you way out here?" The man asked_

 _"Well. I'm actually lost. I was looking for a city to go to but I think I took the wrong turn from my travels" I said, acting lost._

 _"Oh? I see. Follow me. I shall lead you back on the road" The man said_

 _"Thank you so much for your kindness" I said with a smile and bowed towards him._

 _He turned around and started walking while I sneaked behind him and pulled a strand of his hair. I then used my nen and summoned my cello out of my necklace and wrapped the hair around my bow. The man turned around and saw me with my instrument._

 _"Huh? Where did you get that from? What are you doing?" He asked suspiciously_

 _"I'm sorry sir. But it's showtime" I gave a wicked smile and played some notes on my cello_

 _I immediately got control of the man and we headed back to the group._

 _"Chrollo. I got control of him. Are we going to the rest of the clan now?" I asked_

 _"Good job Aoi" Chrollo said as he patted my head. "Are you ready?"_

 _I nodded my head. "Ready whenever you are sir."_

 _"Alright! Let's go already!" Uvogin cried impatiently_

 _"Be patient Uvogin. Let Aoi do her part" Chrollo said_

 _"Okay. Mister. Take us to your village. Where all the other Kuruta clan members are"_

 _I played a couple of notes and the man started walking as we followed him._

 _He eventually led to to the rest of the villagers as we see people walking around the area. I forced the man to approach the other villagers as they stare at him with concern._

 _"Hey, are you alright?"_

 _"You seem quiet. Did something happen?"_

 _"Oi! What's wrong?"_

 _"Wait, who are they!?"_

 _A woman saw us and pointed at us to the other villagers. They all looked at us with suspicious looks._

 _"Well I guess the cats out of the bag" Shalnark said as he shrugged his shoulders_

 _"Aoi, kill him" Chrollo said_

 _"Yes sir!" I said as I jumped in the air and stood right behind the man._

 _"W-What are you doing!?" A man shouted_

 _I picked up my flute and slashed the mans neck._

 _"AAAAAHHH!"_

 _The villagers screamed and started to run away while the rest of the Spiders split up to kill the other Kuruta clan members._

 _I walked around the area, playing my flute and killing anyone that was in my way. They all had those beautiful scarlet eyes that Chrollo was talking about._

 _After slashing each person, one by one, Kertopi walked around each corpse, took out their eyes and placed them in jars._

 _I found an area that was covered in bushes and summoned out my viola. I played a loud scale to search the area for heart pulses. Luckily, I felt four pulses._

 _I summoned out my flute again and cut through the bushes until I see the four people I sensed earlier. It was a family. A mother, father and their two children._

 _I myself am fifteen years old so I'm not that much older than the kids._

 _"P-Please...spare us..." The mother said. Her eyes showing that color._

 _"I'm sorry. But my boss wants your eyes" With that, I slashed the mother and fathers necks as the children stood there in fear._

 _"NOOOO!" Screamed out one of the kids_

 _I raised my flute up, about to kill the kids too but I stopped. My arm wouldn't move. I couldn't kill them. Why couldn't I kill them?_

 _Those two kids looked at me, confused as well. I can't seem to kill them. Is it because their kids? Nonsense. I've killed people before._

 _But I've never killed children before._

 _"Don't kill us. Please. Miss!" One of the children pleaded._

 _"Miss huh?" I said. I lowered my flute and had my arms by my sides. "You called me miss?"_

 _"W-we don't want to die miss...please don't kill us..." The two kids were hugging each other for protection._

 _I don't know why, but them calling me 'miss' made me stop. What am I doing? Why am I killing people in the first place?_

 _"Go, run away." I said without thinking_

 _"Huh?" They looked at me confused_

 _"Run away now!" I screamed_

 _Both kids got up and started running without hesitation. It wasn't until then that I saw two bullets heading towards the kids and they were hit. I saw their bodies tumble over._

 _"Aoi! Why did you let them escape?" Paku said as she blew the smoke off her gun_

 _It was Paku that killed those kids. She didn't show any empathy. I did. I felt terrible that they died. But I wasn't showing any emotions about it. I just feel horrible._

 _"I don't know. They called me 'miss'" I said_

 _"Hmph. Oh well. They're dead now. Deal with it." Paku said as she started to walk away._

 _I looked at the two dead bodies. It made me sick to my stomach. Why is it that I feel bad for killing them now? They're just kids. I shouldn't feel terrible. I've always killed people._

 _But they're kids. I made a mistake. Killing people, is not for me. I can't do this anymore. This isn't right._

 _"I'm sorry. I should have done something but I didn't" I said to the bodies._

 _I turned around and started following Paku until I noticed a figure about 20 feet away from me._

 _I squinted my eyes to see who that figure was and it was a very familiar person._

 _This person was around my height, blond hair, and showing their scarlet eyes. Why do I know this person? He looks exactly like..._

 _"Kurapika?" How did I know that this person is Kurapika?_

 _"Aoi. How could you?" Kurapika said as he slowly walked up to me_

 _"W-what? How are you here? I thought you were younger..." I asked confused_

 _I then looked at myself and I am back to being my nineteen year old self. What is going on?_

 _"How could you? You killed my clan! You're a cold blooded person!" Kurapika said as he screamed at me._

 _I looked at my surroundings and no one was around. All the dead bodies were gone. Everything seemed pitch black. It was only me and Kurapika left._

 _"What? I-I...Kurapika I'm sorry..." I said_

 _"No you're not! You were toying with me the whole time! Weren't you!?" Kurapika said._

 _He was now right in front of me and put his hands on my shoulders. He had a tight grip which was hurting me._

 _"K-Kurapika...it hurts..." I said_

 _"TELL ME WHY YOU DID THIS! WHY DID YOU KILL THEM!?" He was yelling so loud that my ears were ringing._

 _"No...you were not supposed to find out like this..." I said. Looking at his face_

 _Now one eye was scarlet and the other eye was black and blue._

 _"Aoi, I'm sorry it had to come this way" He said_

 _"What do you mean by that?" I asked_

 _With that, I felt something sharp hit me. I looked down and noticed a knife through my stomach. Kurapika just stabbed me._

 _I fell to the ground and coughed up a lot of blood. This is it. It's over. It's all over. I will never be able to tell him I love him._

 _"Kurapika...why...I'm sorry..." I said, shortness in breath_

 _"This is my revenge Aoi. Goodbye"_

 _Kurapika faded away and it was just me in this dark area. All of this feels real. I feel pain in my chest and stomach. Kurapika killed me. This is how I die. Isn't it?_

* * *

My eyes opened wide and I shot up from the bed. I had that dream again. It's been three straight days that I had this nightmare. I wiped off the sweat around my face and looked around.

"It's just a dream...again." I looked at the ground. "It felt real"

I remember everything that happened that day. When I killed members of the Kuruta clan. I remember feeling horrible after seeing those kids die.

My dreams are frightening me. Is this what's going to happen between me and Kurapika if he ever finds out? Will he kill me? For revenge?

Suddenly there was a knock on the door and I opened it. It was Killua.

"Good morning Miss Aoi" Killua said

Miss...that's right. Those kids called me 'miss'. I guess that's why I'm okay with Killua calling me that. It reminded me of four years ago.

"Morning Killua" I said with a faint smile

"They sent me to get you. Lippo is back with the airship to take us to Zevil Island. That's where the fourth part of the exam will take place" He said

"Oh really? Okay. let me get my stuff and I'll be there" I said

"Hurry or else we'll leave you" Killua said as he walked away.

I went into the bathroom to wash my face. My eyes looked horrible. They were puffy. I haven't had a good night's sleep for the past few days. All I've had were those nightmares and then me staying up the rest of the night. I didn't even do anything these three days. I mainly stayed in the room, avoiding Kurapika and the others.

I put my number pin on and headed outside the hotel. There, I see Lippo standing in front of the airship.

"Did you enjoy your mini vacation?" Lippo asked

"Sort of" I whispered

"We will be heading to Zevil Island for the next part of the exam. Please hop on so we can leave" He said as he started to walk inside the plane.

I looked up and noticed all my friends standing at the balcony. Gon was waving towards me.

"Aoi! Hurry up or you'll get left behind!" Gon shouted

"Yo! Let's go! You're so slow!" Leorio shouted

"I'm coming!" I yelled as I ran inside the plane.

We took off and headed to Zevil Island. I walked to my group of friends and had a chat with them. I didn't really talked to Kurapika because I couldn't give him eye contact. After what I've been dreaming, I don't trust myself around him.

It took out two hours to reach to Zevil island and we all got off and waited for Lippo's instructions.

"This is Zevil Island. This is the start of the fourth exam. There are a total of twenty-four people here. Many people lost back at the other island while treasure hunting. If you all didn't know, that was a mini test."

I looked around and didn't realize that we had a smaller number of people. I didn't expect the treasure hunting for Jinah and Banah to be difficult for some people.

"Before we can start the fourth exam" Lippo snapped his fingers and a woman came out of the plane with a box. "I want all of you to draw numbers"

We all looked at Lippo in confusion. Why does he want us to draw numbers?

"This box contains all the numbers we were assigned for the Hunter exam. This will go by the order of people that arrived at the end of Trick Tower. That means number #44 will go first" Lippo said

Hisoka, being number 44 approached the box and picked up a number. Then it was a tall man with an emotionless expression and pins all over his face. It was sort of creepy. I guess this is the guy Hanzo mentioned was second to the bottom of Trick Tower. After the creepy guy was Hanzo and we all lined up to pick a number.

I was the last person in line since I was the last person to cross through the door when we reached to the bottom of Trick Tower. I picked up my number but I didn't see it. I just looked at Lippo as he began instructing us on what to do.

"These numbers you picked up represent the numbers from the other candidates here. What you'll be doing with that number, is to get their number pin." said Lippo

"Huh? Get their number?" Leorio asked

"What do you mean?" Gon asked

"The objective for this part of the exam is to steal each other's number plates. The numbers you drew is your target. So you have to steal the number that is on your paper."

Everyone looked around with suspicious eyes. We all took off our number plates and hid them in our pockets. That way it protects ourselves. Hopefully no one remembers my number.

"In order to pass this exam, you will need six points." Said the woman

"How will we get these six points?" Hanzo asked

"Here is how you can get the six points" Lippo said as he snapped his fingers again and the woman pulled out a sheet. "Your target's number plate is worth three point, If you managed to keep your own number plate, that is another three points. Other than that, capturing a non-target plate costs one point. Fairly simple right?"

"Easy enough to understand" Killua said

"Wait, what? I don't get it" Leorio said

"That's because you're an idiot" I said

"You take that back!" Leorio shouted

"Nope" I said as I looked away.

"The entire Zevil Island is your field. You all have exactly one week to finish the objective. Do whatever it takes to obtain six points. I wish you all good luck" Lippo said as he went back inside the plane.

"We will distribute each of you into the island through two minute intervals. Again, we will go by the order of those who arrived at the bottom of Trick Tower. So will number 44 please go first" The woman said as she pointed Hisoka the path into the island.

Hisoka had his creepy smirk and started walking into the island. As each two minute pass, the next person went into the island. I had to wait at least forty minutes before it's my turn into the island. I looked at Kurapika and he was looking at me too.

"Did you look at your number yet Aoi?" Kurapika asked

"Not really. I didn't have the chance to look after I picked up my card. I'll probably look at it once I get on the island. Wouldn't want to ruin the surprise now" I said with a smile.

"I see. I don't have your number so you don't have to worry about it" He said while smiling

"I'm not worried." I said

"Do you have plans on how you're going to get your target number?" He asked

"Not really. It depends if I remember who the owner of that number is" I replied

"I see. Well. If you have my number, do the best you can to get it" He said

"Huh? What do you mean?" I questioned

"Try to steal my number. If you have it" He smiled

"Oh" That's a small percentage I'll have his number.

"Next! Number 404, you're turn!" said the woman

"Well that's me, good luck Aoi. I'll see you in a week" He said as he stepped into the island.

Pretty soon, Gon, Leorio and Killua had their turn into the island. All that's left was me.

"Okay. You can go now" The lady said with a smile

"Thank you. I will see you in a week" I said and headed down a tree path into the island.

One week huh? I wonder who my target it.

I took the number card out of my pocket and flipped it over. To my surprise, its number 404. Kurapika's number.

"You got to be kidding me..." I said to myself

What am I going to do? Should I attempt to steal his plate number? I was hoping this week would take my mind off of Kurapika. I guess fate has brought me to him. Unless I avoid him at all cost and steal other plate numbers.

That's probably my best bet. There's no way I'm going to steal Kurapika's plate number. I need time for myself. I need to think about ways to prevent Kurapika from finding out the truth about me.

I wonder how everyone else is doing. Will I see my friends again after a week? Will I bump into Kurapika? If so, don't know what to do. I looked at the number card again. #404.

 _Why does life have to be so unfair?_ I thought to myself as I walked deeper into the island, wishing myself luck out here.


	14. I care, You care

I know our time in Zevil Island is a week long but that's too long to me. I'm bored out of my mind here. It is now Day Six of my time on the island. I spent the other five days looking for non-target plates. I didn't want to hunt down Kurapika. It would be too weird.

I was sitting on a tree branch, scoping around the area. I took out three number plates from my pockets and looked at them. One was my number, 406, and the other two plates were non-target numbers. I only need one more number plate to get my six points.

"I can't find any more people around here. This sucks" I said to myself

It truly does. All I found during the past five days were corpses without number plates. I didn't even bump into any of my friends. Not even Hanzo or Hisoka.

I know this is a good time to clear my head about Kurapika and the Kuruta clan. I really don't want Kurapika to find out that I was a member of the Phantom Troupe. But what if Hisoka tells him? Would that be the alternative way he mentioned back at the hotel? I would probably have to make sure Hisoka stays quiet. Maybe if I tell him I'll go back with him, then he wouldn't have to say anything.

 _Could it be that easy?_ I thought to myself.

I put the plates away and hopped off the tree. I started walking down a narrow path of trees. I wonder how Kurapika is doing. Did he manage to find his target number yet? Where is he? Where are the others? I wish I was with them right now instead of being bored and lonely.

"Number 406!"

"Huh?" I turned around, my thoughts interrupted by someone shouting my number.

"You're my target! So we're going to take your plate number now!"

I noticed that there were two men standing at the direction I'm facing. One man was short and chubby with a big round nose while the other man was tall, really skinny and had a monkey on his shoulder. He looks like a freaky monkey himself.

"You want my plate number?" I said in a bored tone.

They look weak. How on earth did they manage to get this far in the first place?

"Yeah we do! We're going to get our six points for sure!" Yelled the freaky monkey man

"Don't worry little missy, I promise you won't get hurt" Said the chubby man as he took out a small pocket knife.

"You've got to be joking with me right?" I said, eyebrows raised. "I could easily defeat the two of you right now"

"What makes you think that girl?" Said the monkey man

I dashed forward and ended up in front of the two of them in an instant. I took out my flute and my violin bow and held it up against their necks.

"Because I'm right in front of you without you knowing" I said.

I pressed my weapons so close to their necks that there was a trickle of blood coming down their necks. Just the sight of it was making me feel weird. It was that blood thirsty feeling I once had when I was with the Phantom Troupe.

I wanted to kill them.

"P-Please! Don't kill us!" Cried the chubby man

"I'm just kidding! I don't want your plate anymore! You can take ours! Just spare us!" Yelled the freaky monkey man

I just continued to look at them with the intent to kill them. I pressed my weapons deeper and they started to gag a bit. I would've killed them instantly but my body was preventing me from doing it. It was as if my conscious is telling me to do to it.

Thoughts of those two children from the Kuruta came swarming back to my mind. They helped me realize why I didn't want to kill people anymore.

I gave in a heavy sigh and let go of the two men. They both fell to the ground as I put my flute and bow away.

"You're lucky your lives are being spared. I won't take your number plates either. It's not worth my time." I said as I glared at them.

I looked at each of the two men. Something was wrong. It looked like something was missing from the picture. I know the freaky monkey man was not alone.

The monkey! Where is the monkey!?

"Hey. Where is your monkey?" I asked, looking at the man as he started to have a grin on his face

"See for yourself. Go Kamuri!" The freaky monkey man yelled

"What!?"

I turned around and I see the monkey jump on my face and started scratching me.

"Ouch! My face!" I grabbed the monkey and threw him away from my face.

The monkey got up and walked back to his owner. I noticed the monkey had something on his hand.

"Thank you for your number plate. Getting it was easier than I thought" Said the monkey man

I quickly checked my pockets and saw that my plate was gone. He really has it.

"My number plate!" I screamed

"Who told you to be so nice to us" Said the chubby man as he laughed and started to run away with the freaky monkey man.

"DON'T YOU DARE RUN AWAY WITH MY PLATE NUMBER!" I yelled as I started to chase after them.

I am so mad that I lost my plate to a monkey. Let alone losing it to two complete losers. I wish Kurapika was here. This is seriously ridiculous considering the situation I'm currently in.

"Get back here!" I took out my flute and threw it towards the chubby man.

The point of my flute poked his shirt and it pinned him to a tree.

"Hey! What the!?" said the chubby man

"Good. You stay there. Now it's your turn!" I said, running towards the monkey man.

He was actually running pretty fast that I was having trouble catching up to him. His monkey was gripping onto his back and he was making faces at me.

A monkey, making silly faces towards me. Is he mocking me!?

"You're done for!" I screamed as I ran a bit faster

I was really close to the freaky monkey guy until I noticed someone jumped out from behind a tree and kicked the monkey man's face so hard that he flew back. I stopped running and looked at the person. It was Kurapika.

"Hello Aoi. Sorry if I got in your way" Kurapika said as he smiled at me

"K-Kurapika?" I said, shocked to see him. I'm really glad to see him but at the same time, I didn't want to see him. But he did save me from this whole nonsense

"Uh...thank you Kurapika..." I said. Feeling shy. Did he witness everything that happened to me? How embarrassing.

"Don't worry about it." He smiled

"What...are you doing here anyways?" I asked

"Well, it just so happens that this guy is my target" He said while pointing at the chubby man. "I was following him the whole time and noticed that they were following you. So I guess it was a stalking festival" Kurapika said with a small laugh.

"Oh...I'm sorry if this whole situation was troublesome to you" I said, embarrassed again

"It was no trouble. I'm just glad that I came to help" He smiled, again.

I grabbed the monkey's tail and dragged the freaky monkey guy to where the chubby man was. Kurapika approached the chubby man and took his plate number.

I went into the monkey man's pockets and only picked up his number plate. Mine wasn't there.

"Alright freaky monkey guy. Where the hell is my number plate?" I asked. Really annoyed at him.

"Pft. I won't tell you" He said through his swollen face.

"Well if you won't tell me, then maybe your little friend will. Right?" I said as I grabbed the monkey's tail and hanged him upside down.

I stared at the monkey as he tried to free itself. I then squeezed him a little but not too tight. I didn't want to kill the fella. I even gave him the most scariest look I could give. That finally got the monkey to be frightened and he gave up on breaking free.

"Will you give me my number plate now?" I asked the monkey.

The monkey nodded his head as I let go of him. He climbed onto a nearby tree and took my plate out from a hidden hole.

"Thank you very much Karumi" I said with a smile. I grabbed my flute to unpin the chubby guy and whacked him hard on the head. I even hit the monkey guys head.

"This is for wasting my time" I said as I stuck my tongue out.

"Now that that is settled, you want to look around the island together?" Kurapika asked.

"Sure!" I said as we walked away from the area.

"Finally, I got six points" I said with a sigh

"Huh? Does this mean you've been collecting non-target plates the whole week?" Kurapika questioned

"Well..yeah" I said. Unsure of what to say.

"Were you not able to find your target?" He asked.

 _Well I found you now._

"Funny thing about my target..." I said "He's walking right next to me"

"I'm your target?"

"Yup" I took my number card out and showed it to him. It said 404.

We both stopped walking as Kurapika took the number card and ripped it up.

"Why did you try to steal it?" He asked. "I wouldn't mind seeing how you were going to take it"

"I thought about it before. But I changed my mind. I didn't want you to lose three points if you weren't able to find non-target points. So I chose this alternative way to pass." I said as I held out the three non-target plates.

Kurapika placed his hand on my shoulder and smiled at me.

"I'm glad" He said

"Huh? About what?" I asked

"I see that you're a really caring person. That's what I like about you" He said with a smile.

I can feel my face getting hot. He likes that about me? What does that mean? Should I accept this act of kindness he's showing towards me?

"We should keep walking. We only have a day to get back to the meeting point" Kurapika said

"Yeah. let's go" I said as we continued walking around the island.

We walked around the island for a while in silence. I have absolutely no clue what to say! I'm still speechless on what he said earlier. That he likes the fact I'm a caring person? He shouldn't feel that way. I was not like that in the past. This whole persona of me right now is the new Aoi. Not the old Aoi. I think my relationship with Kurapika had gotten closer which is making everything scarier to me. Now I'm extremely scared of how Kurapika will react if he learns the truth. What will I do?

"Oh, by the way" Kurapika said, interrupting my train of thought.

"huh?" I said

"I ran into Hisoka the other day" He said

Hisoka! Did he say something to Kurapika? Did they fight?

"H-Hisoka?"

"Yeah. Don't worry though. We didn't fight. We only had a small talk" He said

"About what?" I asked, afraid to know what the answer will be.

"It's nothing important. He mentioned something about you though" Kurapika said as he looked at me.

"About me? Like what?" I said

About the Phantom Troupe? About the type of person I was before we met? About what!?

"He said that I had to keep my eyes on you. I didn't know what he meant by that but I feel like you may be in danger" Kurapika said.

"Me? In danger?" That is nonsense but I'll let Kurapika think that.

"Yeah. I was actually really worried about you when he mentioned that. I thought something happened to you. But now that I see you, I'm relieved that you're okay"

I looked at Kurapika's eyes and they were scarlet. I felt lost in his eyes. They were beautiful. Looking into his eyes made me feel safe but at the same time, scared. Falling in love with this guy was a complete mistake. I know this is going to end badly. But I can't help it. I want to be around Kurapika. I want to be by his side. I want him to forgive me if he ever could.

"Aoi? Are you okay?" Kurapika interrupted my thoughts again

"What? Sorry...I guess I spaced out a bit." I whispered

"Do you feel any pain?" He asked

"No? Why?"

"Your face, you have some scratches on your cheek" Kurapika traced one of the scratches that the monkey did to me earlier.

I was so lost thinking about Kurapika that I had forgotten about my injuries that the monkey did to me. It stung a bit so I winced in front of Kurapika.

"Yeah. It stings a little."

"Just a second, I have this with me. Luckily, Leorio gave me some of his medical supplies before we got on this island" Kurapika opened his bag and took out some alcohol wipes and band aid patches.

"Good thing Leorio was prepared" I said with a laugh.

"Okay Aoi. This may sting a bit. But Leorio said that wiping your injuries can prevent infections." Kurapika used the cloth and started wiping my cheek as I winced in pain. It stung like hell.

"I know it hurts but deal with it for now. It'll be over in a minute" He said

After he wiped off my cheeks, he took the patches and placed it over the scratches. The stinging sensation was gone and now my face feels relieved.

"There you go" Kurapika said as he smiled

"Thank you so much" I smiled back

"It's a good thing that monkey didn't completely hurt you. I was really worried when I saw him scratching you" He said

"Oh. Haha. Well It's just a tiny monkey. So it feels nothing to me" I said

"Good"

Before I knew it, Kurapika leaned in and kissed my foreheard. My face was getting extremely hot. My heart was pounding like it was going to explode!

Why is he kissing my forehead!? Why am I questioning this! This is actually happening! But why am I letting it happen? I should be staying away from him! I should be making sure that we didn't get too close!

But I let this happen! I'm too much in love with Kurapika to have the strength to stop this. I like this kiss on my forehead. He made me feel safe. He made me have this warm feeling in my heart.

"Uh...K-Kurapika?...I..." I was lost at words.

"You don't need to say anything." Kurapika said as he grabbed my hand. "I just want you to know that I'm happy to see you after these five days. I really care about you Aoi. I do. Just know that I'll be there for you if you're ever in danger"

Those words he said, were so sweet. It made my heart feel so warm too.

But it made me feel sad. We're getting too close. This is going to break him badly if he ever finds out. I wish to just blurt it all out to him but I can't. I'm too scared to know the results.

"Let's go. I'm pretty sure the meeting point is not too far from here" Kurapika said as he let go of my hand.

"Right..." I said quietly and followed along.


	15. Snakes and Poison

Kurapika and I eventually made it to the island meeting point. We were hiding behind some trees and bushes to observe the area. To my surprise, there's no one there and it's close to the seventh day.

"What should we do Kurapika? There's no one here" I asked

"What do you mean 'no one's here'? Huh Aoi?" said a voice behind me

Kurapika and I turned around to see Leorio standing there.

"Oh! Leorio!" I was excited to see him. I guess it's because Kurapika and I won't have to be alone anymore.

"I guess you had the same idea as us. Hiding from the meeting point?" Kurapika said

"Yeah well. I still didn't get my six points. I saw you two walking here earlier so I decided to follow you guys" Leorio said with a sigh.

"Wait. You don't have six points yet?" I asked

"Nope. I can't find my princess" He said

"Princess? Who do you have?" Kurapika asked

"It was that cute girl I saw back at the hotel. What was her name...Ponzu!" Leorio said

"Seriously? Ponzu? You got her number and you have yet to see her?" I said, shaking my head

"Hey! She's a tiny person in this gigantic island! How do you expect me to find her!?" Leorio yelled

"Aoi, you know this girl?" Kurpaika asked

"Well sort of. She was the girl I switched rooms with when we were at the hotel" I said

"And you haven't seen her all week?" Leorio asked

"No. The only people I saw this week were either dead, unconscious, Kurapika and two idiots who almost stole my plate" I said.

"You almost lost your number plate!?" Leorio screamed. "How did that happen!?"

"It wasn't my fault! One of them had a stupid monkey and he attacked me!" I yelled back while pointing at my face

"Whose the idiot now Aoi!?" Leorio said

"Still you idiot!" I screamed

"Now, now you two. Stop arguing. The conclusion is, I managed to save Aoi from losing her number plate and Leorio, you still have a target to find" Kurapika said as Leorio and I stopped glaring at each other.

"Oh? Kurapika saved you huh?" Leorio said while winking at me.

I knocked his head and called him an idiot.

"Leorio. Did you see anyone during the week?" Kurapika asked

"Well. I sure as heck didn't bump into Hisoka. That would've been a problem. But the only person I saw this week was Hanzo." Leorio said

"Did Hanzo get his plates when you saw him?" I asked

"Yeah. He said that he finished it since day one." Leorio said

"That was fast. I wonder who his target was" Kurapika said

"Beats me. Oh but he did kept asking me about your whereabouts Aoi" Leorio said

"What? Me? Why was he looking for me?" I asked

"I bet he wanted to be with you for the rest of the week. I think that guy likes you Aoi" Leorio said while poking my shoulder

"I sort of know that already" I said with a nervous smile

I looked at Kurapika and he had a blank stare.

"Well, good thing Hanzo didn't get to see Aoi this week." Kurapika said

"Huh? Why is it a good thing?" I asked. Lost as ever.

"Don't worry about it" Kurapika said with a smile

"Well. Since my little princess isn't here, I guess I should continue to find her and leave you two alone. See ya!" Leorio said as he was about to start walking.

"Oh no, no, no Leorio. You're staying with us" I said as I grabbed his ear and dragged him back to us.

"It'll be a good thing if the three of us stick together" said Kurapika. "More eyes to spot Ponzu for you"

"Alright fine. I'll stay" Leorio said in defeat. Then he leaned in and whispered in my ear "What the hell did you and Kurapika do alone?"

I blushed at what he said. Technically, we didn't do anything alone but all Kurapika did was kiss my forehead and that was embarrassing enough.

"Nothing...K-Kurapika's idea is right though. We'll help you find Ponzu since there is still time before the exam is over" I said, trying to cover up my red face

"Hehe. I see how it is" Leorio said with a goofy grin and winked at me while I slapped his shoulder

"Let's go idiot" I said

We were about to leave our hiding spot until someone called out to us.

"Wait for me guys!" That sounded like it was coming from above us

I looked up at a tree and I see Gon jumping down towards us

"Hey Gon!" I said. Excited to see him

"Hi guys" He said with a smile.

"Where you up there the whole time!?" Leorio asked

"Yup I was. I was sitting on top of the tree. I saw some people pass by this area too" Gon said

"Oh!? I should've looked for Ponzu on top of the tree!" Leorio shouted

"Yeah but its not use for you. Only Gon is capable of doing that" Kurapika said

Leorio sighed. "Yeah, you're right."

"By the way Gon, did you manage to get six points?" I asked

I looked at Gon's face. He was a bit disappointed. I also noticed a bruise on his left cheek.

"Yeah. Sort of." Gon said quietly

"Sort of? Who was your target?" Kurapika asked

"It was...Hisoka"

Leorio, Kurapika and I had our eyebrows raised when Gon mentioned Hisoka's name. Of all people, he got Hisoka. What luck. I knew it must've been difficult for Gon to get his number plate.

"Does that explain the bruise on your face Gon?" I asked

"Yeah. It was really hard to get his plate number without fighting him. But in the end, I got it" Gon said

"I'm impressed. Usually the others would've given up and grab the non-target plates" Kurapika said

"That reminds me, am I the only person who still don't have all six points?" Leorio asked

"Well what about Killua? Has anyone seen him?" I added

Everyone shook their heads 'no'. Maybe I shouldn't be worried about Killua. He is a Zaoldeyck family member after all. Their professionals at this kind of stuff. Most likely he got his plate since the beginning of the week and wandered around bored.

"Great. I bet Killua is done too. It's only me without a plate number." Leorio said while sighing in defeat. "Wait Gon! You were up on that tree! Did you manage to see Ponzu walk by?"

"I don't think I remember seeing her. But she smells like drugs right?" Gon asked

"What? Drugs? Why would she smell like drugs?" I asked, confused

"If I remember correctly, I heard that Ponzu is known for using drugs and poison and such as her weapon" Kurapika said

"Oh. I didn't know that. That's cool" I said. That would be a cool technique to use if someone like her joined the Phantom Troupe.

"Gon you said you smell her scent before?" Leorio asked

"Yeah I did. I still smell it right now" Gon said

"Then lead us to her!" Leorio shouted as he picked up Gon and started pushing him around the area.

"It's this way guys, I don't know how far she went though"

"I don't care! As long as it takes me to my princess!" Leorio shouted

"Oh brother. Let's just hope you get your number plate before this ends" Kurapika said

* * *

After walking around with Gon sniffing on the ground for a long time, the sun was finally starting to set. It's going to be our final night on this island.

"I think I know where she is resting" Gon said

"Where is she?" Leorio asked

"She's inside this cave" Gon pointed at a decent sized hole underneath a tree.

"What? Are you sure she's in there?" Leorio asked

"Positive. Her scent ends in there" Gon said

"Well. Time to go save the princess" Leorio sid as he was about to go inside the cave

"Wait Leorio! What if she set a trap inside that cave?" Kurapika said

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. She's a girl right?" Leorio said

I gave him a look. I'm a good girl you idiot.

"Well how about you let the OTHER GIRL like me inside the cave first. She'll probably be more comfortable seeing me than you. You idiot" I said as I started to walk forward.

"But Aoi, what if you get hurt?" Gon asked

"It'll be fine if I get poisoned. That way, Leorio can be the one to heal me. He is a doctor after all. Wouldn't want the only person with medical experience to get hurt." I said as I continue to walk.

"Wait Aoi" Kurapika said as he walked up to me.

"Yes Kurapika?"

"Please be careful. If you don't come out within fifteen minutes, then we're coming in" Kurapika said with a look of concern.

I gave him a smile and a 'thumbs up'

"Don't worry. I'll be fine"

With that, I walked into the cave and went down a steep path. The cave was pretty dark but I was still able to see the ground. Or at least I hope it is the ground.

Pretty soon, I saw a small light at the end of the cave and went through the small opening.

I looked at the corner of the area I was in and I see Ponzu sitting there with a very tiny lantern.

"Aoi?"

"Hey Ponzu"

"What are you doing here?" She asked

"Well, my friend caught your scent here. Your plate number is actually one of my other friends target and we were searching for you. Why are you in this cave?"

Ponzu looked at me and then picked up her tiny lantern. She stood up and shined it around the area. I didn't realize it, but this entire area was full of snakes.

"Just so you know, we're trapped here." She said

"What? Why?" I asked

"Because of him"

She pointed towards the middle of the area. Sitting there, surrounded by snakes, was the freaky snake guy from the hotel.

"Are we really trapped here?" I asked

"Yes we are. There's no way out" she said

"How are you sure?"

"These snakes are trained. Anyone who goes near him or tries to leave will get attacked. Their venoms are deadly if you get bit." She added

"So we really are trapped..." I said quietly. I just hope the others don't come in.

Come to think of it. The freaky snake guy hasn't said a single word since I got here.

"Why isn't he saying anything?" I asked

"Because he's dead" Ponzu said

"Dead!? How?"

"My hat. I keep poisonous bees inside my hat. They only come out if they sense that I am in danger. It just so happens that I tripped and fell when one of his snakes tried to attack me. And they killed him. I didn't even get the chance to get his number plate. He was my target too" Ponzu said as she put the lantern back on the ground.

"Isn't there any way for us to leave?"

"No. Those snakes are guarding the exit. I've been here since yesterday"

"Seriously!?"

"Yeah."

There is no way I am going to let myself be trapped inside this place. Plus my friends are waiting for me outside!

"So, since this man is the owner of these snakes, wouldn't he most likely have an antidote with him? You know, incase his snakes ever deiced to bite him?" I asked

"He probably does" Ponzu said.

"This man is your target too right?"

Ponzu nodded her head

"Okay. How about I reach down his shirt and get the antidote and number plate? Shouldn't be that hard right?" I said as I started to walk towards the corpse.

"No don't do it Aoi! He has snakes underneath his clothes as well! They are there to protect his body" Ponzu said as I turned around to look at her

"You're kidding me right? This guy is willing to carry snakes around his body just to protect himself? That's crazy..." I whispered.

"That's why I said it's no use. How about we just sit here patiently and wait until tomorrow morning for the Hunter's association to pick us up. It's the last day anyways, we failed" Ponzu said as she sat on the ground and hugged her knees

I looked at Ponzu. I was sad to hear her give up like this. I know we can always try next year but I was never here to give up. Even though I was taking this exam out of boredom, I am still a person who is not willing to fail. I will try my best to get us out of here.

"Sorry Ponzu, but I'm not going to sit here and give up. I am sticking with my plan of getting that antidote and number plate" I said

"What!? Are you serious!? You know you could die Aoi! What if he doesn't have an antidote!?" Ponzu shouted

"Don't worry. I won't die" I said with a smile

"How are you sure?" She asked

"I am positive that this man has an antidote. It's just like what I explained earlier. Most likely animal owners would carry medicine or antidotes with them if they ever get bit or attacked. So he should have one. You get it?" I said as I tapped my head with my finger, letting her know that we have to think harder.

"I see. I get it now" She said as he nodded her head

"How about we make a deal Ponzu"

"A deal? Like what?"

"If I am able to get his number plate, I need you to put the antidote on me since I'll most likely get bit. Also, If I somehow managed to get us out of this hellhole, you'll give me your number plate. Is that okay?" I asked

Ponzu thought about it for a while until she finally decided.

"Okay. It's a deal. But please be careful Aoi" She said

"You got it!" I gave her a smile with a thumbs up and cautiously walked up to the dead mans body.

One by one, snakes were coming out from his body as they all hissed at me. Without hesitation, I reached my hand inside his shirt and started searching.

Snake after snake crawled around my arms and body. They all started to bite every inch of my body. It stung like hell. I could feel the venom being released inside my body. My body was going numb. I still have to find the antidote and number plate!

After a minute of searching with unbearable pain and numbness, I finally found them!

"I got it Ponzu!" I shouted

I jumped back as far as my body could and fell to the ground. It was completely numb. I couldn't feel my fingers. All I could do was move my eyes. I looked at my hand and there was the number plate and antidote.

"Quick...Ponzu...the...an...ti...dote..." I said with short breaths. My throat was starting to swell as well.

"Don't worry Aoi! I got it!" Ponzu grabbed the antidote from my hand and stabbed the syringe on my leg.

I felt the cooling sensation of the antidote around my body. The numbness was slowly going away as I started to feel my fingers again.

"Thanks...Ponzu" I said with some strength to speak.

"Yo Aoi! Are you there!? It's been fifteen minutes!" I could hear Leorio's voice echoing around the cave.

I forgot about the fifteen minute limit! If my friends come in here, they'll be trapped as well!

"No...don't..." I said, not being loud enough

"Aoi!" I turned my head to see Kurapika, Gon and Leorio running towards my side.

Ponzu used the last syringe and injected in me, then she shifted over for my friends to get closer to me.

"Aoi, what happened?" Kurapika said as he kneeled next to me.

"You guys...shouldn't have came here...its a trap..." I said

"A trap? What trap?" Leorio asked

Then the guys turned around and realized that this area was covered with snakes. Ponzu explained them the entire situation that happened here while I rested and tried my best to regain my strength.

"Aoi you silly, you shouldn't do a dumb move like that!" Leorio screamed at me.

"I'm sorry guys. I just wanted to help Ponzu. So I had to do what I had to do" I said, trying to sit up.

Kurapika held his arm around me to support me.

"I'm just glad you're okay. Please. Don't worry us like that Aoi. You took really long in here" Kurapika said

"I'm sorry..." I said, looking at the ground. I didn't mean to worry them.

"Well Aoi, judging from your bite makes all over your body and the antidote Ponzu used, you should be feeling better any minute now" Leorio said as he examined my body.

"Thank you" I said as I looked at my body. There were bite marks everywhere. "Yikes, I look like hell"

"Now that Aoi is better, do you have any plans on getting out of here?" Ponzu asked

"This looks tough. We're surrounded by snakes. Dangerous ones. Is there a possible way?" Kurapika said

We all shook our heads.

Time passed by, I'm not sure how long but it felt like hours until Gon finally spoke up.

"I think I have a plan" Gon said

"You do?" I asked

"Yeah. Ponzu, how did you get in this cave?" Gon asked, looking at Ponzu.

"How did I get here? I used my sleeping gas" Ponzu said as she took out her gas from her pockets

"I see. Then why did you try to use the gas to get out of here?" Gon said

"I had a mask. But I fell on top of it and it broke" Ponzu said as she pointed out the broken mask on the ground.

I actually didn't notice the broken mask at all. I looked at it and see that its only the mouth piece left. The rest of the mask was broken.

"We can use your sleeping gas to get out of here" Gon said

"What? But we don't have a mask to cover our mouths. And mine is broken" Ponzu said

"What do you have in plan Gon?" I asked

Gon walked over to the broken mask and picked up the mouth piece.

"I plan on holding my breath the entire time and carry you guys out of here"

"Are you crazy Gon? Would you even be able to hold your breath that long?" Leorio asked

"Yeah. I use to always time myself whenever I'm bored back at Whale island. The longest I ever done was seven minutes" Gon answered

"It is a plausible idea. But would you be able to carry all four of us on your back?" Kurapika asked

"No. I was thinking maybe Aoi can use this mouth piece while carrying Ponzu out of the cave. That way, I take you and Leorio" Gon answered

"Wait, why me?" I asked

"I think Gon has a point Aoi. Maybe it'll be a good idea if you're the one to carry Ponzu. I don't think she'll let any of us touch her" Kurapika said

"I agree. I don't really like guys I don't know grab onto me or anything" Ponzu said as she looked at each guy.

"Well. I guess it's the best plan we have. Let's do it" I said

"Good. Ponzu, can I please have the sleeping gas?" Gon asked

Ponzu, still holding onto the gas bottle, tossed it towards Gon and Gon shaked it a bit.

"Okay Gon. I trust your plan. I'm ready whenever you are" Leorio said

"Right. I'm going to open it now. So get ready Aoi" Gon said

"I'm ready" I said, gripping onto the mask.

Gon opened the sleeping gas and sprayed it all over the area. I quickly covered my nose and mouth with the broken mask. The snakes immediately fell asleep along with Ponzu, Kurapika and Leorio.

I quickly carried Ponzu on my back while Gon picked up Kurapika and Leorio. Gon gave a thumbs up and we quickly ran as fast as we could out of the cave. I ran past many sleeping snakes, while avoiding them so they wouldn't be stepped on.

We eventually made it out with just one minute to spare. I took the mask off and threw it to the ground, then I gently placed Ponzu next to a tree to lean on.

"Phew...that was close. Made it just in time" Gon said as he took deep breaths

"Yeah. It was a good idea you had Gon" I said with a smile.

I looked at the sky, it was morning. We probably spent the entire night in that cave. I didn't think it'd take us that long to get out of there.

"Aoi, I have to do something. I'll be back really quick!" Gon said as he started to run off

"Wait Gon! Where will you meet us!?" I yelled out

"Back at the meeting point! Don't worry, I'll be there!" He said as he disappeared past some trees.

That kid sure is something. I wonder where he went.

I dig into my pocket and took out the freaky snake guys number plate. I placed it on Ponzu's hand. Then I grabbed her number plate.

"Just like I promised Ponzu. Hope you had a nice dream" I said with a smile.

I turned around and saw that Leorio and Kurapika were waking up.

"W-what? Where are we?" Leorio asked

"We're out of the cave. It's morning already" I said, looking at the rays of the sun

"Wow, we've been in there for a while" Kurapika said

"Yeah." Leorio agreed, then he looked at the sleeping Ponzu. "I guess I can't be her prince."

"Oh that reminds me Leorio, here" I tossed Ponzu's number plate to Leorio

"How did you get this?" He asked

"I made a deal with her before you guys showed up. Now you have six points" I said, winking at Leoiro

"Yes! I'm done with this part! Thank you Aoi!" Leorio shouted as he ran up to me, picked me up and spun me around in happiness

"Okay Leorio! I get it! You're welcome!" I said, trying not to feel dizzy

"I think you can put her down now Leorio" Kurapika said with a nervous look

Leorio finally put me down and Kurapika put his arm around me to prevent me from falling. I was dizzy from all that spinning.

"By the way, where did Gon go?" Leorio asked while looking left and right for Gon

"He mentioned that he has some business to take care of. He said that he'll meet up at the goal anyways" I said

"I believe we'll see Gon but look up there, it's the airship" Kurapika pointed at the sky as we see the huge airship passing by.

"The fourth exam is now over. All exam candidates, please return to the starting point. Any person left behind will be disqualified."

That was coming from the speakers of the airship.

"Well, time to go back. Just in time too" Leorio said with a smile as he flipped the number plate like a coin and caught it.

"Let's go then. Maybe Killua is there" Kurapika said

"Right! Let's go!" I said

So the three of us raced back to the starting point. Hopefully we can meet Killua and Gon there along with everyone else. I wonder how many people passed this part of the exam.


	16. Lost at words

Kurapika, Leorio and I reached to the starting point where everyone else was. I noticed that it was only a few people there. I see Hisoka, his strange friend with the pins all over his face, Hanzo, Killua, some old man who looks like a martial artist and that kid who was with me when Hisoka first attacked the exam candidates.

"Hey! Killua!" I smiled and waved at him

"Hello Miss Aoi" He smiled back

Every time he calls me 'miss', I always think about the past.

"Y-You don't have to call me 'Miss'..." I whispered

"Did you see Gon yet Killua?" Kurapika asked

"No. I thought he was with you guys" Killua said

"What? He's not back here yet?" Leorio asked

"Nope! Here I am!" Gon said

He was right behind Leorio when he spoke which startled him. I couldn't help but to laugh.

"Jeez Gon! You almost gave me a heart attack!" Leorio screamed

"Haha! Sorry, I couldn't help myself!" Gon said laughing

"Did you manage to take care of your business Gon?" I asked

"Yup. All taken care of" Gon said with a smile.

I turned around and looked at Hisoka. He was grinning towards me with his creepy smile and I shuddered. He then pointed at his wrist. Probably indicating that I'm running out of time in terms of deciding to go back with him or not.

I still haven't fully made a decision. I seriously don't want to go back. I don't want to go back to my old ways. I want to stay with my new friends. I want to be with Kurapika.

But what if my friends has plans after the Hunter's exam? What if they want to go separate ways? What then? Hisoka is definitely going to do something. How can I prevent that?

"Helloooooo, my sweet Aoi!"

My thoughts were immediately interrupted with Hanzo popping out in front of me.

"H-Hey Hanzo." I said, startled at his presence.

"I'm so glad you made it!" He said while holding my hands. "I was so sad to not be able to see you this entire week!"

"Oh..haha...I see..." I said with a nervous laugh

"If I did see you during the week, I would've accompanied you the entire time! I would never leave your side!" Hanzo said as he started to hug me.

I didn't know what to do. I just stood there and let him. Until Kurapika came.

"Okay Hanzo. That's enough. I think you're crushing Aoi" Kurapika said as he put his hand on Hanzo's shoulder

Hanzo looked at Kurapika and gave him a look.

"You're lucky I didn't see you throughout this week. I would've fought you. Even if you weren't my target" Hanzo said as he let go of me.

"Likewise" Kurapika said with a smirk.

They were both glaring at each other. I was confused. What is going on? Why do they have a strong dislike towards each other?

"Aoi is with me. So back off" Kurapika said

My face got a bit red from Kurapika saying that. Is Kurapika saying this just to tell Hanzo to leave me alone? I actually don't mind Hanzo. Despite that I know he likes me.

"You can't tell me to back off. Aoi has a choice. Right Aoi?" Hanzo said

Both eyes were looking at me. I looked at them nervously.

"Uh...K-Kurapika, I don't mind speaking to Hanzo. There's nothing wrong with that." I said quietly

"Oh Aoi! You're so sweet!" Hanzo said as he grabbed my hands and stared into my eyes.

"But Hanzo, I want us to be friends okay?" I told Hanzo

He looked heartbroken. It was like the hearts in his eyes just shattered

"Oh! I knew it! I guess we're not meant to be. But I do love talking to you" Hanzo said

"Uh..same here" I said with a smile.

"Okay Aoi, time to get on the airship, they're going to take off without us" Kurapika said as he took my hand and pulled me away.

"You too lover boy" Leorio said as he bonked Hanzo's head to snap him out of his trance.

I was blushing at the fact that Kurapika is holding my hand. Was he jealous before? Or was he just being kind to me? I don't know. But it was nice of Kurapika to act protective around me.

* * *

We reached to a room inside the airship where all the exam Proctors were. Even President Netero was there.

"Good job to the ten of you that made it this far. Zevil Island was probably a tough one for most of you. Before we start our final part of the exam, I would like to speak to each of you individually in my office. I will you one by one when its you're turn. Understood?"

We all nodded our heads as Netero and the other proctors left the room. The rest of us stayed in this room.

"Now what?" Leorio asked

"I guess we just wait." Kurapika said

"This is going to be boring. I just want to go to the final part of the exam already" Killua said

"Hey, weren't the three of you from that time Hisoka attacked us?"

The kid who I was with from the earlier part of the exam approached us. He had that bow and arrow with him.

"Oh? Yeah. It's you. What's your name again?" Leorio asked

"My names Pokkle" He said

We all introduced ourselves to Pokkle and we had a chat about our reasons for being here. Pretty soon, we were joined by that older man, Bodoro.

I looked around the room and noticed that Hisoka and his friend disappeared. I shouldn't be worried about them. I highly doubt they'll do anything here.

Just then, our names were called one by one from the speakers. Everyone had their chance until I was the last one. I walked towards Netero's office and knocked on his door.

"Come in!" said a voice behind the door.

I entered the room and Netero was sitting on his chair.

"Hello Aoi. Number 406" Netero said with a smile.

"Hello sir" I said as I sat on a chair across from him.

"Don't be nervous. This interview is just for me to gather information for the final part of the exam"

"Oh...I see"

"Here are some pictures of our exam candidates. I will only ask you two questions and you point at the picture that fits the answer" Netero said

"Okay"

"First question. Who are you most interested in?" He asked

"As in to fight or in general?" I asked

"General" He answered

"Then I choose these three" I pointed at Gon, Hisoka and Kurapika's picture.

"I see. And who do you not want to fight against?"

I looked at him, eyes blinking fast. Is that a serious question?

"Uh...I'd say these four" I pointed at Gon, Killua, Leorio and Kurapika's picture. "I think I'd rather forfeit than fight them."

"Is that true?" Netero asked

"It's the truth." I said, nodding my head

"Can I ask you one more question?"

"Sure"

"Out of those four, who is the one person you sincerely do not wish to fight?" Netero asked

I looked at Kurapika's picture. My heart was beating fast just looking at his eyes.

"Him" I said as I pointed at his picture. "I cannot, and will not fight him. I am even willing to forfeit and come back next year if it is to make me avoid fighting him"

"I see. Very interesting. You're dismissed" He said with a smile

"Thank you sir" I got up, bowed and exit the room.

I walked back to the room we were at earlier. Just as I was at the door to the room, I was approached by Hisoka and his friend.

"Yo" Hisoka said with his smile

"What do you want Hisoka?" I said, glaring at him

"That is not a nice tone you're giving me. Especially from a cute face like yours" He said as he grabbed my cheeks and squeezed them.

"Hisoka..." I said as I freed myself from his grasp.

"Time is ticking" He said while pointing at his wrist. "Tick, tock, tick, tock"

"I know. I know. I get it Hisoka." I said

My mind flashed back to that conversation we had during our hotel visit.

"Remember, if you don't answer in time, I'll have to use force" Hisoka said

His eyes were wickedly scary. I didn't show any fear. I don't fear him.

"I...still don't have a decision Hisoka" I said, staring at the ground

"Tsk, tsk. You'll regret taking your time with your answer Aoi" Hisoka said as he started to walk away along with his friend.

"Hisoka wait" I called out

"Hm?" He looked at me

"Who is this? A friend of yours?" I asked, pointing at the man with the pins all over his face

Hisoka looked at his friend and smirked at me. I gave him a confused look.

"Don't worry about him. For now" He said as they walked away.

I shrugged and went inside the room. I was greeted by Kurapika.

"Welcome back Aoi" He said with a smile.

I smiled back at him and noticed Leorio, Hanzo and Pokkle fighting ton top of each other.

"Uh...What's going on" I asked

"Ignore them. They're just fighting over something stupid" Kurapika said as he was shaking his head

"Oh I see" I said while looking at the three guys. Then I looked around more and saw that Gon and Killua were not here

"Hm? Where's the kids?" I aksed

"They're outside. Playing around" Kurapika said

"Oh. Those kids." I said while laughing.

It breaks my heart though. I know time is running out but I still don't know. I can't leave my current friends. I've gotten attached to them. Especially towards Kurapika. I don't to leave his side. I like him too much to leave him. It's also the fact that I DO NOT want him to know the truth. It'll hurt him deeply. It'll hurt me too. I don't know what to pick. I'm torn between the two.

"Aoi?"

"Huh? Yes?" I looked at Kurapika

"Are you alright?" He asked, concerned

"Yes I am. Why do you ask?"

"You seemed nervous. Is anything wrong?" Kurapika was pointing at my hand. I was playing with my glove.

"It's nothing" I smiled. "Just a habit I do when I'm lost in thought"

"I see. Can I ask what you were thinking about?" He asked

I looked at him hesitantly. What do I say? If I say 'nothing', he'll know it's something.

"I-I was thinking about what you did for me earlier. Back when Hanzo was talking to me." I said nervously.

"Oh" Kurapika said and grew silent. He looked like he was lost at thought too. "Well...I..."

Kurapika looked like he was struggling to say certain words. I just look at him in confusion. What is he trying to say?

"Aoi, sometimes I feel...weird when I see you speak to Hanzo." He said

"Huh?" I was lost. _What?_

"I mean, whenever Hanzo speaks to you, and when I see him hold your hands, I feel jealous" He said quietly

 _He get's jealous? Am I hearing that right? Jealous from Hanzo?_

"Why do you get jealous?" I asked. Face turning red, heart beating fast. What is he going to say?

"What I want to say..." Kurapika trailed off.

Now it was Kurapika's turn to grab my hands and hold them. His face was a bit closer to mine. He was looking deep into my eyes. I see how scarlet his eyes are. But he wasn't showing angry or sad emotions, he was showing something else. Something I don't know.

I don't know how many more shades of red my face can turn but it's boiling. I can feel my hands feeling cold and sweaty. My heart was pounding like a hammer. What is he going to say?

"Aoi, I don't know how to put this together, but I really like getting to know you. I really like being around you. I just want to tell you that I'm-"

"SORRY to keep you all waiting!"

Menchi spoke loudly as she barged into the room. This interrupted what Kurapika was going to say as he let go of my hands and looked at Menchi.

I looked at him.

 _If Menchi didn't disrupt this moment, what would he have said?_ I wondered

"We've reached to our final destination. We'll be located inside an arena when we step off this plane.

"We'll talk later Aoi. The final exam is about to start" Kurapika said with a smile while I nodded.

We all got off the airship and observed the building ahead of us. It was a huge arena dome. We are definitely going to fight each other. It's obvious. I just hope I don't have to fight Kurapika or the others.

Once inside the building, we were once again greeted by President Netero and the other proctors.

"Gentlemen and Lady, welcome to the final part of the Hunter's exam. As you can tell based on my interview questions and the area we're in, this is going to be a one on one tournament style." Netero said with a smile.

"I knew it. It was obvious from the start" Killua said in a cocky tone

"That's it? Just a tournament?" Pokkle asked

"Indeed! That is it! Simple right?" Netero asked

"At least it's no more of that ridiculous stuff we did" Leorio said in relief

"Here are the match lineup. Please take a good look at it" Netero said

Satotsu came out from a door and brought over a whiteboard with a cloth over it. He took off the cloth and revealed to us the match up.

I was shocked to see the matching. The board showed:

Gon vs. Hanzo

Pokkle vs. Killua

Leorio vs. Bodoro

Hisoka vs. Kurapika vs. Aoi

What. On. Earth.

Just my luck. It was fate for me to be stuck with Kurapika once again.

How ironic that I told Netero I didn't want to fight Kurapika. I feel like he purposely did this for a reason.

I honestly don't mind fighting Hisoka...but why Kurapika? _Why?_


	17. Whisper

Out of all the nine people we had, Netero just had to put me against Kurapika. Was that the point of his interview? It didn't seem fair to me. I really did not want to fight him. I refuse to fight him. But will I have to force myself to?

Looking back at the whiteboard, I noticed something was missing. Wait, not something, someone is missing.

There's supposed to be ten of us but I see nine names on the board. I looked around and saw that Hisoka's friend was missing.

"Excuse me, President Netero" I called

"Yes Aoi?"

"This lineup here isn't correct, There were ten of us here but I only see nine names on that" I said

"Oh. I was just about to explain that. Thank you for pointing that out Aoi." Netero said with a smile. "One person decided to drop out of the exam during my interview. So that is why the match between the three of you is unbalanced."

"What? Who dropped out?" Leorio asked, looking around the room. "Have I not noticed a person here the whole time?"

"You're an idiot" Killua said

I looked at Hisoka and gave a wondering face of where his friend went. All Hisoka did was placing a finger towards his mouth, indicating that he is keeping it quiet.

"We shall begin the tournament immediately. The first match will be #294, Hanzo versus #405, Gon" Satotsu said as he walked to the middle of the arena.

With that, Gon and Hanzo walked to where Satotsu was. I realized, I have never seen Hanzo fight before. It might be interesting to watch. I know Hanzo is a ninja so he'll probably use his ninja techniques and weapons.

"Oi! Aoi! I hope you're watching me! I'm going to win this match for you!" Hanzo shouted out towards me.

My face flushed in embarrassment. It's the final part of the exam and yet Hanzo still find the time to flirt with me.

"What did I tell you Aoi!? This guy is practically in love with you!" Leorio said as he winked and poked my arm to tease me.

"Well...I don't know what to say..." I said.

 _Seriously. I don't._

"I'll bet Gon will knock him out so he won't go near you" Kurapika said as he put his hand on my shoulder.

"I guess we'll see who wins Kurapika" I said with a slight smile.

 _I think he's jealous again._

"There are only a few rules in this tournament. No killing, No interrupting the match, and do not attack the proctors. If you break any of these rules, you automatically fail." Satotsu said as we all nodded our heads in agreement.

"Now, this match may start."

Satotsu walked away to the observation area and Gon and Hanzo started fighting. I didn't notice that Hanzo had a blade sticking out from his wristband. It was actually a pretty cool weapon. The blade was really long and it was sharp. Gon is an interesting kid, I have a feeling Gon will win this match.

"This is for Aoi!" Hanzo shouted as he rushed towards Gon and swung at him.

Gon managed to dodge it with his fishing rod and jumped back a bit. I can see them talking to each other but I could barely hear it from where I'm standing. The observers were standing pretty far from the arena.

After a couple minutes of hitting, dodging and swinging, Hanzo caught Gon's left arm.

"I got it!" With that, he twisted Gon's arm.

"Ahhh!" A crack was heard.

Gon's left arm was broken. He even cut Gon with his blade. I got very worried. What's going to happen between the two of them?

"Gon is going to lose!" Leorio panicked

"I don't think so" Kurapika said. "I think Gon has a plan"

"But his arm..." I said quietly "He can't use his fishing rod much if his arm is broken"

"That is true, but look at him. He is smirking" Killua pointed out.

He was right. Gon did have a smile on his face and it was intimidating Hanzo.

"What's with that smirk huh!? I'm going to wipe that off with my blade!" He shouted and continue to swing towards Gon.

This kept going on for another few minutes until I noticed Hanzo getting tired.

"Gon!? Are you going to dodge Hanzo forever!?" Leorio shouted

"My exact question!" Hanzo said as he swung one more time before losing his guard

"Now's my chance!" Gon said as he jumped as high as he could and gave a good hard kick at Hanzo's face.

Hanzo flew a couple feet back and landed head first on the ground. He was knocked out from that kick.

"Winner of this match, Gon" Satotsu said as Gon put a thumbs up towards us.

"You did it Gon!" Killua cheered

"All it took was to tire out Hanzo. Smart plan" Kurapika said with a smile.

"Yeah. But my arm is broken though." Gon said, supporting his broken arm.

"Is Hanzo okay?" I asked, concerned about his injuries.

"He's fine." Kurapika said, while glaring at the confused Hanzo.

Hanzo got up and looked around, trying to figure out what happened. Satotsu explained to him that he lost and he sulked his way to our group.

"Well, nice job Gon. Although my head hurts a lot right now, but you did good" Hanzo said as he shook Gon's hand.

"You too Hanzo. You're a strong person" Gon said with a smile.

"Oh Aoi. I'm sorry I didn't win this match for you" Hanzo said, grabbing my hands once again.

I looked at Kurapika and he was glaring at Hanzo.

"Uh...it's okay Hanzo. At least I got to watch you fight. That's all the matters. Right?" I said with a nervous laugh

"Yeah! You're right! If only I can bring you back to Japan with me" Hanzo said with a sigh

"In which you will not" Kurapika said

Hanzo and Kurapika then started having a glaring contest.

Leorio, being the idiot that he is, started to tease me now.

"Oi Aoi. Two guys, one gal. What do you think?" He said

I bonked his head and called him an idiot. This is no time for people to argue if we have a tournament to take care of.

Just then, Satotsu cleared his throat to get our attention.

"Ahem...now that everyone is ready, we can start the next match."

The next two matches went by like a breeze. There really wasn't anything much to miss. Killua and Pokkle had their match next but Killua forfeited. He mentioned that Pokkle wasn't worth his time to fight. This gave Pokkle the automatic win.

As for Leorio and Bodoro's match, all they did was punch each other to the point that they both knocked each other out. Satotsu claimed their fight to be a tie.

Now, it was the match between me, Hisoka and Kurapika.

"For the three way match, you can have a choice of all three of you fighting the same time and declare last man standing, or do separate matches within the three of you to declare two winners" Satotsu said, looking at the three of us.

Hisoka shrugged his shoulders, indicating that he doesn't care. So it was just up to me and Kurapika.

"What do you think Aoi?" Kurapika asked

"I'm not sure.." I said

If we all fight at the same time, only one of us will win but that gives a better chance of defeating Hisoka but Kurapika and I would lost. If we do the separate matches, two of us can win. I don't know. Either way, I'd still have to fight Kurapika. There is nothing I can do to avoid this fate.

"Aoi? Did you hear me?" Kurapika said

"Huh? What? What did you say?" I asked, losing my thoughts

"I would like to ask for separate matches. Is that okay with you?" He asked

"Yeah, I guess so" I said

"Okay. Satotsu. We'd like to have separate matches" Kurapika said

"Very well then. Between the three of you, the first ones to go will be Hisoka versus Kurapika. Would you kindly wait at the observation space Aoi?" Satotsu said

"Ye-Yeah" I said

I was worried. Hisoka and Kurapika fights first? I was hoping it'll be me versus Hisoka first so that I can tell him to stay away from Kurapika.

"Don't worry about me Aoi" Kurapika said with a smile. "I'll be fine"

Kurapika patted my head while I looked at Hisoka. He took out his cards and showed me the Joker card and pointed at his wrist. That was the card that gave me the frightening answer back at the hotel.

 _Chrollo said I can do whatever I want as long as it makes you come back to the group,_

 _even if it means I have to_ _kill your circle of friends._

That rang in my head a couple of times.

My eyes widened in fear as I walked back to the group. Is my time up? Is Hisoka going to use force to bring me back? Is he planning on killing Kurapika!?

I was feeling very nervous. I was tugging at my gloves uncontrollably. I don't know what to do. I can't interfere with the match. I'll fail. Sadly, all I can do is just stand there and watch.

"Hisoka, I don't know what is going on between you and Aoi but I want you to leave her alone" Kurapika said

"Oh? Me? Leave her alone? I cannot do that" Hisoka said

He was showing that infamous creepy smile.

"I simply have something to do with her." Hisoka looked at me as I felt chills down my body

"What do you want with her?" Kurapika said

"I cannot tell you. It's our little secret" Hisoka said as he took out his cards and start throwing then towards Kurapika.

Luckily, Kurapika managed to dodge each card except for one. One managed to graze his face. There was a trickle of blood sliding down his face.

I was really worried this time. Is Hisoka toying with Kurapika? Or is he willing to kill him?

"I said leave her alone!" Kurapika ran towards Hisoka as fast as he could.

He caught Hisoka off guard and stabbed his shoulder with his knife.

There, Hisoka's face, his eyes, were an expression that would make a child fear for their life.

His eyes were as wide as they could be. His smile turned wicked. He looked at his blood. He touched it. Then he started to laugh hysterically.

"Hehe...hehehehe...HA..HAHA...HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"W-What?" Kurapika jumped back a couple of feet as Hisoka was getting scarier.

"My...my...my blood...hehehe...this...is...my...blood..." Hisoka said

"This is scary. What's going on?" Leorio asked

"He was similarly like this. Back at Zevil island." Gon said

I looked at Gon, shocked. Gon was still able to get Hisoka's number plate even in that state?

"You're a brave kid Gon" I said as I patted his head.

I could tell my body was shaking in fear. I tried my best to stay calm. I guess the same goes for Hisoka.

"Calm down...calm down...I'm here...for a reason...for Aoi...I'm here...for Aoi...Aoi...AOI" He turned his gaze towards me.

I took a step back. His gaze was deadly. He looks like as if he's ready to just kill all of us any minute.

I was still shaking in fear. This is the guy Chrollo replaced me for. The new #4.

 _Why?_

 _Why did he have to choose someone so deadly, so fearful?_

Pretty soon, Leorio stood right in front of me, blocking Hisoka's view of me.

"I don't like the way he's staring at you Aoi" Leorio said

"Same here. I don't like that look of his. It's really creepy and he shouldn't be looking at you like that" Hanzo said as he joined Leorio.

Both Hanzo and Leorio stood in front of me. As if they were protecting me from Hisoka's gaze. They shouldn't have. They don't know me. They don't know that I should be leaving this place with Hisoka.

I looked over their shoulders and saw that Kurapika was standing in between me and Hisoka. I can't tell what his face expression is showing, but I sense that he's getting angry.

"Leave. Her. Alone." Kurapika said in the most serious tone I've ever heard.

Hisoka looked at Kurapika. Everything went quiet for a while. Hisoka finally 'calmed down' and went back to his usual self. Or at least, I hope it's the same Hisoka that we've met.

"Well. Time's up" Hisoka said as he calmly walked up to Kurapika.

He stood next to him, shoulder to shoulder and whispered something in Kurapika's ears.

"What do you think he's telling him?" Leorio asked

"I don't know, but from the looks of it here, Kurapika don't seem happy" Killua said

After Hisoka was done whispering to Kurapika, he walked past him and headed towards the door, which was behind the rest of us.

When Hisoka was near me, Leorio and Hanzo stood infront of me again to protect me.

"Tick. Tock. Time Aoi" was all Hisoka said with a wicked smile.

"Hisoka. Where do you think you're going? You still have a match with Kurapika." said Satotsu

"Just consider this my defeat. I need some fresh air. I'll be back for my last match" Hisoka said as he walked out the door.

"Then the winner for this match is Kurapika. The next match will be Kurapika versus Aoi. Before we can start, we will take a thirty minute break. Please take this time to get some fresh air. Otherwise, you can stay here and wait for the next match."

I froze in my spot. I feel like Hisoka whispered the truth about me to Kurapika. It just has to be that. I'm sure of it. There is no way Hisoka would whisper any other stuff to him.

That's it. My life with Kurapika is over.

"Oi. Kuapika. You okay?" Leorio called out to Kurapika.

He was just standing there. Frozen in place too. He was not responding to anyone.

I slowly walked up to Kurapika. Heart beating really fast. How should I react? What should I say? What can I do?

"K-Kurapika?" I called out to him as I stood in front of him.

His eyes were scarlet. He looks like he was lost in his thoughts.

"You okay?" Killua asked

"Kurapika!" Gon shouted

This got Kurapika to snap out of it and his eyes went back to its normal colors

"I'm sorry. I spaced out a bit" Kurapika said

He then looked at me for a minute. A really long minute. The way he was staring at me was not that of a caring person. It felt like he was staring at me with anger, confusion and sadness.

"I..wish to be alone right now. Leorio, can I speak to you privately?" Kurapika said, looking at Leorio.

"Yeah. Sure." Leorio said quietly

With that, Kurapika and Leorio stepped out of the room. Leaving me, Killua and Gon confused.

"I wonder what Hisoka said to Kurapika" Killua wondered

"Yeah. Kurapika's expression was something I haven't seen" Gon said

"Miss Aoi. Are you okay?" Killua asked

"Yeah. I'm fine" I said. Even though I'm not.

"You were quiet the whole time. Is something wrong?" Gon asked

"No. I'm fine. It's just..." I didn't know what to say.

"Are you worried about the next match?" Killua asked

"Yeah. Something along that line.." I said

"Don't worry about it Miss Aoi. I know Kurapika wouldn't hurt you" Killua said with a cheesy smile

"Killua is right Aoi. Kurapika always talks about you! He's basically in lo-" Gon's mouth was immediately covered by Killua's hand

"Shut it Gon! You'll ruin it!" Killua said

"Huh?" I looked at the two kids confused

"Hehe. It's nothing Miss Aoi. I think Gon is thinking of crazy stuff after his fight with Hanzo" With that, Killua dragged Gon somewhere and they both had a talk.

I just stood there and stared at the arena. What's my decision?

 _The truth._

I'm going to tell Kurapika the truth. I don't care if Hisoka told him before me. I made up my mind. I will reveal who I truly am in front of my friends. I shouldn't be here. I don't belong to have good friends like them. I should just go back with Hisoka. Go back to the Phantom Troupe. Go through whatever it is Chrollo has in plan for us to do.

I turned around and was about to head out of the door to look for Hisoka until an announcement was made.

"Would all exam candidates please report back to the arena. We will be starting the next match shortly."

Damn. I don't have a chance to speak to Hisoka privately.

I walked to the center of the room, waiting for Kurapika. He eventually showed up and took center of the room too.

We were staring at each other. I looked deep into his eyes. I didn't understand his facial expression.

"The rules are still the same. So please do not break them. You can start the match" Satotsu said as he walked away.

Kurapika and I still stared at each other.

What should I do? Do I fight? No. I don't want to fight Kurapika. Give up? Probably.

I looked at my right hand. My glove. All I have to do is remove this glove and reveal my tattoo. Then all of this anxiety would be over. I can go back to my original group and forget about this group that I love so much. I love Kurapika too much to hurt him

"Aoi..." Kurapika said

"Kurapika...I'm sorry...I...I..." I trailed off

I raised up my right hand and was slowly removing my glove, it almost came up to the point where my tattoo can be revealed but Kurapika said something shocking.

"I forfeit the match"


	18. Truth

"I forfeit the match"

We were all surprised to hear Kurapika say that.

"What?" I said, shocked at this.

I was just about to remove my glove and forfeit as well...

"Satotsu, I want you to declare Aoi her victory. I forfeit" Kurapika said as he started to walk back to the observation area.

"Wait Kurapika, Why did you forfeit?" I asked

He stopped walking and turned around with a sad smile toward me.

"I have my reasons Aoi. Please don't question me." He said and then turned back around.

That broke my heart. He was sad towards me. Did Hisoka really tell him the truth? Does Kurapika now know about my membership with the Phantom Troupe?

"Let's move on to the final match then. #44 Hisoka versus #406 Aoi" Satotsu said

Hisoka calmly walked towards the middle and right in front of me. I glared at him.

"Did you tell him?" I said so low that only he could hear me

He smirked. "I don't know. How about you find out"

I was annoyed. He really did tell Kurapika. I just know it. It's over. My chances with Kurapika is over.

"You two may start the match" Satotsu said

With that, I took out my flute and charged at him.

"It's about time we fight!" I shouted as I swung my flute at him.

Hisoka dodged my attack and jumped behind me. Then he whispered in my ear.

"Will you be coming home with me?" He said

I swung my arm back to strike him but I missed that too.

"Or should I just do something else to bring you back?" He said as he took out some cards

"I made my decision Hisoka. But that depends on what you told Kurapika" I said.

I looked at Kurapika and he had a hurtful expression on his face. It made me sad to see him like this.

"Tsk tsk. If I told you now it would ruin the surprise" Hisoka said as he charged towards me and I dodged

"If you did tell Kurapika the truth, you didn't have to go that far!" I shouted and threw my flute towards Hisoka while summoning my bass out.

My flute didn't even hit Hisoka. He just blocked it in between two of his fingers. I was surprised

"What..." I couldn't say anything.

"You are wasting my time now girl" Hisoka said, his facial expression was changing to that evil, scary expression from earlier.

"I...I..." I didn't know what to say. I was speechless.

"What will it be Aoi? Your decision." Hisoka said, taking out a single card, revealing the joker card once again.

"I did make a decision..." I said

"And what is it?" Hisoka said, staring into my eyes with that evil look of his.

"I am willing to go back..." I said

"That's a good girl" Hisoka said as he walked up to me and stroked my cheek.

"But...I don't know if I want to..." I added.

Hisoka stepped back and looked at me with his creepy smile.

"Well then. Force it is" Hisoka said

He threw the joker card towards me.

I don't know why, but my body wouldn't move. I just stood there and stared at the card flying towards me! I'm going to get hit!

But I didn't. It grazed past my cheek and hit something else.

I heard a loud groan.

Slowly, I turned around. There, I see the joker card stuck on Bodoro's forehead. Blood gushed out from his head as he fell to the ground. Dead.

"B-Bodoro..." I said quietly.

Bodoro just died. All because I didn't answer Hisoka in time. This was all my fault. If I answered sooner, he wouldn't have died!

"Now, will you come back with me like Chrollo ordered me to Aoi?" Hisoka said as he grabbed my face and forced me to look at him.

He was staring at me with cold-blooded eyes. He looked like he had the thirst to kill for a long time. He was psychotic. A murderous psychotic with a true lack of empathy.

I was shaking. I felt really scared. I felt paralyzed. I couldn't move again.

Hisoka let go of my face and I dropped to the ground. I just sat there. I stared at Bodoro's corpse.

"Oi! Proctors! Do something about this! Aoi is in danger!" Hanzo shouted

I ignored all the voices that were calling out to me. All I just was just sit there and stare. Stare at those dead eyes. Stare at the person that could've been alive if it wasn't for my selfish thoughts.

"Hisoka, you've broken a rule and killed an exam candidate, you are disqualified from the exam. I'm going to have to ask you leave this vicinity immediately" Satotsu said, standing in front of me.

"I wasn't interested in this exam anyways. I got what I needed" was what I heard Hisoka say. "I'll be waiting for you Aoi"

With that, I could hear Hisoka's footsteps leaving the room.

"I would like to have a meeting with all examiners in my meeting lounge immediately" Netero said as he walked through the doors.

"Please come through here everyone" Menchi said as Hanzo and Pokkle followed.

Then I heard running footsteps towards me, my friends calling out to me.

"Aoi! Aoi! Are you okay?"

"Miss Aoi!"

"Oi! Aoi! Snap out of it! Wake up!"

I felt someone shaking me. I still stared at Bodoro's body.

"Aoi. Look at me"

That last voice was Kurapika's. That made me snap back to the real world.

I looked up to see Kurapika's eyes meeting mine.

"K-Kurapika..." I said quietly.

I felt like I didn't know how to speak. I'm too shocked after what just happened.

"Are you okay?" Kurapika asked

"I...I think so..." I said

"Okay. I'll be waiting inside the meeting room" Kurapika said and left the room.

Killua, Gon and Leorio looked at each other, not sure what to do.

"You two go" Leorio said to Gon and Killua. "I'll stay here with Aoi until she's better"

They both nodded their heads and followed Kurapika. As soon as Killua and Gon left, Leorio picked me up.

"Aoi, are you sure you're okay?" He was holding onto me, making sure I don't fall to the ground again.

"Yeah..." I said

"Bullcrap. Tell me, what were you and Hisoka talking about?" He asked.

"Please don't make me answer" I said, scared to say anything.

"Kurapika spoke to me. I'm pretty sure you remember when he asked to be alone with me" Leorio said

"Yeah. What did you guys talk about?" I asked, afraid to know the answer.

Leorio just looked at me. He looked like he was scared to answer as well.

"We spoke about you. He said that Hisoka mentioned something about you." Leorio said

That's it. The truth is there. Kurapika knows the truth.

"What about me?" I asked

"I'm sorry Aoi, but I promised Kurapika not to tell you. I can't say anything else" Leorio said, looking away.

"I see" I said, look down at the floor

"You should know this Aoi" Leorio said

"Know what?" I asked, looking at his face again.

"I care about you. Whatever you did in the past, I can forgive you for it. I'm here for you. The past means nothing to me. I don't know about Kurapika but I am still your friend. Don't forget that" He said

That made me want to cry. My past. My horrible past. Leorio said he can forgive me for it. That made me feel joy. But what if Kurapika cannot forgive me?

"Thank You Leorio." I said as I hugged him.

Leorio can be a bit idiot. But he is there when it comes to sensitive events.

"Let's go to that room. I'm pretty sure they're waiting for us. Stay calm. Okay?" Leorio said as he patted my head.

"Okay"

So we walked through the doors and entered the meeting room. Everyone was sitting, waiting for Netero. We sat next to our other friends. Leorio sat next to Gon while I sat next to Kurapika.

Kurapika didn't even bother to look at me. He just kept staring ahead. I can't blame him. Hisoka whispered the truth about me to him. I just know it.

"Lady and gentlemen" Netero said as he walked to the front. "Because of the tragic event Hisoka has done. I decided to make all of you Hunters"

We all looked at Netero.

"All of us? Even though some of us lost?" Pokkle asked

"Indeed. All seven of you worked hard to get this far. So I made the decision to reward each of you with a Hunter's license." Netero said with a smile.

With that, Menchi and Lippo handed each of us our Hunter's license with our names on it.

"Wow! I'm a hunter now! Mito is going to be proud of me!" Gon shouted in joy.

"Huh? Didn't think it'd be this easy to get this thing" Killua said as he flipped the license like a coin

"Yes! Here I come medical license!" Leorio shouted.

I stared at my license. My name is on it. Now that I have it, do I just leave my current group and meet with Hisoka outside? How can I leave here without hurting them?

"Now that all of you are Hunters, I hereby dismiss you all. Enjoy life as a Hunter now" Netero said, smiling and waving at us.

We all left the building and just stood outside. I caught a glimpse of Hisoka leaning against a pillar before disappearing.

"Oh Aoi!" Hanzo called out to me

"Huh?" He approached me and grabbed my hands.

"We're both Hunters now! Aren't you happy?" He asked

I looked at Hanzo's face. He looks so happy. Too bad he doesn't know who I truly am.

"Yeah. Sort of" I said with a slight smile.

"Well, now that the Hunter exam is finally over. I can ask you this question" Hanzo said

"What question?" I asked, confused

"Will you come back to Japan with me and be my wife?" Hanzo proposed.

He proposed to me!?

"Huh? Hanzo likes Aoi?" Gon questioned

"You never noticed Gon? It was obvious since day one" Killua said

"Oh...I didn't notice..." Gon whispered

"Wow, you're proposing to her Hanzo? Bold move" Leorio said

I looked at Kurapika. He was glaring at Hanzo with jealousy.

"Will you Aoi?" Hanzo asked again. Eager to know the answer.

I smiled and looked at Hanzo.

"Hanzo, I would love to come with you and visit Japan. But I cannot marry you. I like you, as a friend" I said

"I see. Is it because of him?" Hanzo said, eyes darting at Kurapika without making obvious for anyone to see.

I nodded my head.

"I understand. I can see that you're in love with him." Hanzo said with a sigh. "Well, at least I tried. I really do hope to see you again though."

"Same here" I said

"If you ever come to Japan or want to see me, here's my number" Hanzo pulled out a card from his pocket and handed it to me.

"Now you're giving your phone number to her!?" Leorio shouted

"Woah" Killua said

"This is goodbye then. It was nice meeting all of you" Hanzo said. "Aoi, I was lucky to meet you. Hopefully, I can find a woman just as pretty and strong like you"

I gave a nervous laugh. That sounded creepy but I'll take it as a compliment.

"It was nice meeting you too Hanzo. I hope we can contact each other" I smiled

Hanzo then walked up to Kurapika and said something that only the two of them can hear.

After that, Hanzo took off and went back to Japan.

"I'm not good at saying 'farewell' but this is a goodbye from me too" Pokkle said as he shook our hands

"See ya later Pokkle!" Gon shouted

Pokkle waved at us and went the opposite direction from Hanzo.

Now, it was just the five of us.

"So, what now?" Leorio asked

"Are we going separate ways?" Gon asked

"If so, I'm tagging along with Gon." Killua said as he lightly punched Gon's arm

"Cool! I was planning on going back to Whale Island. You can meet Mito!" Gon shouted in joy.

"Sounds like a plan to me! I don't want to go back to my family right now" Killua said with a smile.

"Well, if that's what the two of you are going to do, then I'm going on a journey to become a better doctor" Leorio said as he flashed a smile.

So everyone is going to separate. Maybe this is a good opportunity for me to leave before things get too emotional.

"What will you do Miss Aoi?" Killua asked

"Well, I'm going home" I said with a sad smile. Home.

"It was nice being with you guys. I really enjoyed it. I'll miss all of you" I said

I was about to walk away until someone grabbed my hand. I turned around to see Kurapika.

"Kurapika?"

"Aoi, can I look at your hand?" He asked

My eyes widened. He wants to see the tattoo.

I purposefully gave him my left hand to see his response.

"No, not your left hand, I need to see your right hand" Kurapika said as he grabbed my hand hand and held onto it.

My head was pounding. Is this going to happen now?

"W-What do you want to do with m-my hand?" I stuttered

"Can I remove your glove Aoi?" He asked

Now my heart was racing. He's going to do it. My tattoo will be revealed to my friends.

"Kurapika, what are you doing?" Gon asked, confused

"So you're going to do it huh? I'm sorry Aoi" Leorio said as he looked at me with a concerned look.

This is what Leorio was talking about. I could feel tears forming in my eyes but I held them back. I have to be prepared for all the rejection and hatred amongst them.

"Can I Aoi?" Kurapika asked a bit harsh as he squeezed my hand.

I couldn't do anything. All I did was nod my head.

Slowly, Kurapika removed my glove. I could tell he was nervous because his hand was shaking.

I looked at the ground, without saying a word until my glove was fully off. There, revealed my spider tattoo with the number four on it.

"No way...Miss Aoi?" Killua said confused

"So it is true. Oh Aoi..." Leorio said

Gon just stood there and stared at me.

"Hisoka was right. He whispered to me to check for a spider tattoo on your right hand. Aoi. Are you a member of the Phantom Spiders?" Kurapika asked

He looked deep into my eyes. They were scarlet. I could see the hatred, sadness, betrayal look in his eyes. I've hurt him now. My heart breaks even more. It's over. This entire friendship, relationship, closeness we all had is over.

"Answer me!" Kurapika yelled as he squeezed my hand really hard.

I winced in pain.

"Hey Kurapika, you're hurting her" Leorio said

"It-It's okay Leorio." I said. "I'm sorry Kurapika. I'm so sorry. I am part of that group."

"Were you there when my clan was assassinated?" He asked

I nervously swallowed my own saliva. How should I answer this?

"I-I...I was...but...but something happened there...that made me regret it...I..I witnessed something there that made me leave the group...Do you...hate me now?" I asked, tears streaming down my face now.

Everyone looked at Kurapika. He was shaking. I can tell his emotions were all over his face.

I looked at Leorio. He had a disappointed look on his face.

 _I'm sorry_ was what Leorio mouthed to me.

"How could you..." Kurapika said quietly

I just looked at him. Not sure how to answer.

"How could you do this to me!?" Kurapika said, water in his eyes.

"I-I...I'm sorry...I-I...I changed...I'm not a killer anymore..." I said, stuttering.

"Where are they?" He asked

"They who?" I asked

"The rest of the group! Where are they!? Take me to them Aoi!" He screamed

Kurapika was squeezing my hand really hard again.

"I can't..." I said as I trailed off

"Why not!?" Kurapika shouted

"B-Because...I know what you're going to do to them...and I don't want you to hurt them...they're my family..." I said as more tears streamed down my face.

It hurts for me to say this in front of everyone. These guys are like family to me too. But I highly doubt they're still willing to be my friends.

"Aoi, please...please don't make me do this..." Kurapika said

He then took out his knife and held it up high.

"Kurapika! No!" Leorio shouted

"Don't do it!" Gon screamed

Leorio, Gon and Killua grabbed Kurapika to prevent him from harming anyone. Kurapika let go of me as I took a step back.

I was shocked. Was he really going to kill me? That really hurt. I feel like my heart shattered into a million pieces. I can't be mad at him for that. I do deserve his hatred. It was wrong of me to fall in love with him in the first place. I just wish Hisoka can come here and save me from this situation.

"Hey, what's that?" Killua said as he pointed at a small round cue ball rolling towards us.

The ball stopped and released some smoke and gas around us. We were all coughing after inhaling the smoke. Pretty soon, each of us were falling to the ground. I didn't realize that it was sleeping gas.

With my eyes feeling heavy, I tried to look at Kurapika. I see him reaching out to me

"Aoi..." He said towards me

"Kura...pi...ka..." I said.

I reached my arm out too. Trying to grab his hand.

Just as our hands were about to touch, I looked at him one more time before fully closing my eyes to sleep.

The last thing I saw from Kurapika, was seeing a single tear down his face.


	19. Flashback

_A knock was heard at President Netero's office._

 _"Come in" said Netero_

 _The door opened and Kurapika stepped into the room._

 _"Kurapika Kuruta. Please, have a seat" Netero said as he pointed at the only seat available in front of him._

 _"Excuse me" Kurapika said politely as he took a seat._

 _"I just want to have this interview to gather information for the final part of the exam" Netero said_

 _"That's fine with me" said Kurapika._

 _Netero pointed at the ten pictures laid out on his table._

 _"I'm only going to ask you two questions. I want you to point at a picture that best answers the questions" Netero said with a smile._

 _"Okay" Kurapika said as he nodded his head._

 _"First question, who are you most interested in?" Netero asked_

 _Kurapika stared at the pictures for a bit until he finally pointed at Aoi, Gon and Hisoka._

 _"I'd like to say these three right here" Kurapika said_

 _I see. Interesting. Next questions. Who do you not want to fight against?" Netero asked_

 _Kurapika did not hesitate. He immediately pointed at the pictures of his four friends. Gon, Killua, Leorio and Aoi._

 _"These four. I do not wish to fight these four. But, if it comes to fighting them, then I won't hold back" Kurapika said._

 _Netero looked at Kurapika. He sensed something odd from the Kuruta._

 _"May I ask you one more questions?" Netero asked_

 _Kurapika looked at him in confusion but answered._

 _"Go ahead sir"_

 _"Out of these four pictures you picked. Who is the one person you sincerely do not wish to fight?" Netero asked_

 _Now, Kurapika hesitated. He was staring at Aoi's picture for a long time. Netero watched his every move, every emotion, every facial expression Kurapika made._

 _"Judging by the looks you made, I assume it would be number 406?" Netero asked as he picked up Aoi's picture to show Kurapika._

 _"Yes sir." Kurapika said quietly_

 _"Why is that?" Netero asked. Eager to know what makes this girl so special to the Kuruta_

 _"She has been an interesting person to me ever since we first met. I sincerely do not wish to fight her at all. She is important to me" Kurapika said_

 _"Oh? She's that special?" Netero asked, interested to know more_

 _"Yes she is. If I do end up fighting her, I would forfeit no matter the circumstances. I don't mind fighting my other friends. But not her." Kurapika said_

 _"You seem to show a lot of emotions towards this girl. Can you explain to me why?" Netero asked._

 _"It's because..." Kurapika started to say but paused._

 _"Because what?" Netero said as he put the picture down._

 _"It's because I'm in love with her"_

* * *

 _Kurapika stood in between Hisoka's wicked gaze and Aoi. He was not going to let Hisoka harm the girl he loves._

 _"Well. Time's up" Hisoka said as he calmed walked towards Kurapika._

 _As soon as they were shoulder to shoulder, Hisoka leaned in and whispered to Kurapika._

 _"You should check Aoi's right hand she has a spider tattoo on it." Hisoka whispered and walked away_

 _Kurapika's eyes turned scarlet. Should he believe Hisoka? Was Hisoka saying that to Kurapika just to mess with his mind? But what if he is telling the truth? Does Aoi really have a tattoo of a spider on her hand?_

 _Kurapika didn't know how to react. Could it be, that the girl he loves is a member of the Phantom Troupe?_

* * *

 _After Kurapika's fight with Hisoka, Kurapika and Leorio stepped outside of the building and into the garden alone._

 _"What's up Kurapika? You didn't look okay back there" Leorio said as he leaned onto a pillar._

 _"I don't know what to do Leorio" Kurapika said_

 _"For what? What did Hisoka whisper to you?" Leorio asked_

 _"He said..." Kurapika said as he trailed off. Should he trust Leorio?_

 _"He whispered to me that Aoi has a spider tattoo on her hand" Kurapika said as he looked at the ground_

 _"You're not serious are you? Did Hisoka really whisper that to you?" Leorio asked, surprised_

 _"I'm not kidding. Hisoka said it to me like he was telling the truth" Kurapika said_

 _"I see. Then it all makes sense to me now" Leorio said as he started pacing back and forth._

 _"What do you mean Leorio?" Kurapika asked_

 _"I remember, back at the hotel, Aoi purposely switched rooms with Ponzu so that she can speak to Hisoka. She did seem like she was hiding something dark from us. I also recall her having a habit of playing with her glove every time we talked about the Spiders." Leorio said, nodding to himself._

 _"What is this suppose to mean then?" Kurapika said, unsure of what's the truth and what's not._

 _"This could possibly mean, if Hisoka is telling the truth, that Aoi is a member of the Phantom Troupe" Leorio said in a serious tone._

 _Kurapika's eyes turned scarlet again. Could this really be happening to him? Has his life been turned upside down?_

 _"Oi! Kurapika. Snap out of it" Leorio said while snapping his fingers in front of Kurapika._

 _"I don't want to believe it" Kurapika said, annoyed_

 _"I don't want to believe it either." Leorio said. "But let's discuss a matter of whether or not this rumor is true. What will you do?"_

 _Leorio looked at Kurapika. Kurapika's face showed anger and betrayal._

 _"That's why I'm talking to you" Kurapika said. "I need your opinion. What should I do?"_

 _Are you in love with her Kurapika?"_

 _Kurapika lifted his head and stared at Leorio. He was a bit surprised to hear him ask that question._

 _"Are you in love with Aoi?" Leorio asked again._

 _Kurapika hesitated to answer. He is in love with her. But how could he fall in love with a possible Spider member?_

 _"Yes Leorio. I'm in love with Aoi" Kurapika said_

 _Leorio sighed and leaned on the pillar again._

 _"This is troublesome" He said_

 _"Why do you say that?" Kurapika said_

 _"Well, Aoi's going to kill me for this but, she's in love with you too"_

 _Kurapika's eyes widen. She loves him too?_

 _"Really? Are you telling me the truth?" Kurapika asked_

 _"If I wasn't, I wouldn't be lying on a serious topic wouldn't I?" Leorio said "She loves you Kurapika. Maybe you two don't see it, but it is obvious to me. I just can't believe it came to this. Aoi, being a member of the Phantom Troupe. IF she is a member though"_

 _"What do you think I should do?" asked the Kuruta_

 _"If I were you, I'd remove her glove and see what happens from there" Leorio said_

 _"Check her hand huh?" Kurapika said as he started to think._

 _Is that the best option? When should he look at her hand? During the fight with Aoi? No. He refuse to fight her._

 _He'd rather forfeit the match than fight her._

 _"Your decision Kurapika. It's either you check or hand or ignore Hisoka's rumor" Leorio said._

 _"Let's go back. I made my decision" Kurapika said as the two of them headed back inside the building._

* * *

 _Kurapika's eyes slowly opened after inhaling that sleeping gas. The warmth that was on his hand was gone. He slowly looked up to see Hisoka._

 _Hisoka looked down at Kurapika. He was carrying Aoi in his arms._

 _"Aoi!" Kurapika said as he tried to get up._

 _He couldn't. Somehow, this sleeping gas has paralyzed his body too._

 _"Sorry but you won't be able to get up until another hour or so. But I am surprised you woke up from this" Hisoka said_

 _"What are you doing with Aoi?" Kurapika said in an angry tone_

 _"Doing my job" Hisoka said with a smirk. "I'm bringing her back to the group. That's all"_

 _Kurapika's eyes changed color. He knew Hisoka meant taking Aoi back to the Phantom Troupe._

 _"Don't you dare take her away" Kurapika said angrily_

 _"Sorry. I'm just taking orders. She even told me that she wanted to come back" Hisoka said_

 _"What?" Kurapika said, confused_

 _"She was hoping to not hurt your little feelings. But I guess I decided to make this happen between you two"_

 _"Aoi..."_

 _Hisoka started to walk away, still carrying Aoi with him._

 _"NO! Aoi!" Kurapika shouted out to her, hoping she can wake up from his call_

 _Hisoka turned around once more._

 _"If you love this girl so much, look for her. Find her. I'll be nice and even give you my phone number to contact me" Hisoka took out a card and threw it in front of Kurapika._

 _"You'll see her again. Probably in half a year. We have important business to take care of. Until then, I hope you get stronger"_

 _With that, Hisoka disappeared along with Aoi. She was out of his sight. Kurapika lost Aoi._

 _"Damn it!" Kurapika shouted as he slammed his fist to the ground._

 _He looked around the area. The rest of his friends were still asleep. He picked up the phone number Hisoka gave. Maybe he can help lead him to Aoi's whereabouts in the future._

 _What Kurapika didn't notice was another ball rolling towards him. More sleeping gas popped out and put Kurapika to sleep once again._

 _He couldn't believe he let Hisoka take Aoi away from him. He must find her. That's his number one priority now._


	20. Home

My eyes felt extremely heavy. Did I fall asleep? Where am I? How long was I asleep for?

I can feel two strong arms carrying me bridal style. It was silent. No talking, no noises. Just silent. Who is carrying me? Is it Kurapika?

Slowly, I opened my eyes. I was blinded by the bright sunlight beaming its' rays towards me.

I lifted up my head to see the person carrying me. It was Hisoka.

"You're finally awake" Hisoka said as he smiled at me

"Hisoka?" I asked, confused.

Hisoka gently put me down as I rubbed my eyes. While rubbing them, I instantly remembered everything that happened before.

"Kurapika! Where's Kurpaika? Where are my friends?" I asked

"Don't worry. They're safe" Hisoka said. "We left them back at that building"

"What?" Where are we now?

I looked at my surroundings. I noticed that I am nowhere near where my friends are. We're in front of a junkyard city. Just near Meteor City and Yorknew City.

I recognized this place. I was sad to even see this place in front of me. This place was home. I'm home. Back at Spider headquarters.

"Welcome home Aoi" Hisoka said as he rest his arm on my shoulder for support.

"I really am home..." I said quietly. "How did you bring me here Hisoka?"

"It was troublesome at first. That boy was not willing to give you up. Too bad" Hisoka said

"Was it you that threw the sleeping gas?" I asked

"Yes. You were taking too long so I had to do it. Plus I didn't know if he was going to hurt that cute face of yours" Hisoka said as he pinched my cheek.

He walked past me into the junkyard city and I noticed Hisoka's friend was standing behind him the whole time.

"You. Just who are you? Why have you been following us around?" I asked

"I'm surprised Aoi. I thought you'd recognized me from this disguise."

The person with pins all over it's face finally spoke. It was a females voice though. A familiar voice too. Sounded a bit like Machi.

Suddenly, this person removed each pin one by one and its facial structure changed. When all the pins were finally gone, the person revealed to be Machi.

"Machi!?" I shouted, surprised it was her.

"Hey Aoi. Sorry I couldn't talk to you. It would've been obvious to you if I talked." She said with a smile.

I threw myself at her. I was crushing her with my hug.

"I missed you so much Machi!" I said

"Yeah. Happy to see you too. I'm pretty sure Pakunoda, Nobunaga and the others are dying to see you." Machi said

I finally let go of her. I went from a smile to a frown in a second.

"So, I really am back home huh?" I said, lowering my head.

"What's the matter? What's making that cute face of yours sad?" Hisoka said

"It's nothing. Let's just go inside" I said, faking a smile.

I wonder if I'll ever see my friends again. Will I see Kurapika?

"Chrollo is going to be happy to see you Aoi." Machi said "He's been waiting for your return"

"I can tell" I said. A bit annoyed that all of this happened.

We went into an abandoned factory inside the city. It smelled like home. It's been a while since I saw anyone. I wonder what Chrollo really want to do with me since Hisoka was sent to get me.

"Yohoo. We're back. Look who I brought." Hisoka said

He bowed as if he had performed a magic trick. I walked in and looked around the area. Everyone was standing at their usual number sports.

There was Nobunaga, Franklin, Pakunoda, Feitan, Shizuka, Kortopi, Phinks, Bonolenov, Shalnark, Uvogin and Chrollo.

All eyes were locked on me. I could see everyone smiling towards me. They were happy to see me.

"We brought Aoi back Boss" Machi said as he bowed in front of Chrollo.

"Welcome back Aoi" Chrollo said

"It's good to see you again Boss" I said as I bowed in front of him.

Chrollo stepped off from his spot and walked towards me. He put his arms out and gave me a hug.

I always respected this man. I would never do anything to get him angry. But sometimes, I don't agree with the decisions he makes.

"Have you become a licensed Hunter yet?" He asked

I looked at him strangely but proceed to show him my Hunter's license.

"I have it right here sir" I said

"Excellent. This will be useful for our next mission." Chrollo said

"What? Next mission?" I asked

Is this why Chrollo wanted me back? He needed my Hunter's license for the next mission?

"Half a year from now, on August 30th, we will be invading the annual York Shin auction at YorkNew City" Chrollo said

"And you need my Hunter's license for this because?" I asked, wondering what his true idea is.

"I will explain all the details in six months. I'll see you until then" Chrollo said as he disappeared from his spot.

That was his way of telling us that the meeting was over. Everyone in the group stepped off from their usual spots and walked up to me. Uvogin was the first person to greet me.

"It's about time you came back kid!" Uvo yelled as he patted my head with his giant hands.

"Hi there Uvo" I said with a smile as I lightly punched his arm

"Well if it isn't Aoi" Pakunoda said as she held her arms out

"Paku!" I shouted.

I ran up to her and gave her a big hug. Paku was like a mother to me. Even though she's around ten years older than me.

"I missed you Aoi" She said

"So did I. I missed everyone a lot" I said

"Hey. What about my hug kid?" Nobunaga said as he squeezed my cheek

"Ah! That hurt Nobunaga!" I shouted. "I didn't forget about you!"

I let go of Paku and hugged Nobunaga. He was like a father to me.

Everyone else greeted me with smiles or nods until I saw Shalnark. He was really happy to see me.

"I missed you Aoi" Shalnark said.

"Miss you too Shal" I said as we hugged.

Shalnark was giving me a really passionate hug. I couldn't blame him if he still had feelings for me.

"Why didn't you return my messages?" I asked, as we let go of each other.

"Sorry about that. The Boss sent us out on treasure hunting before. So I had no access to my phone" He said with a smile.

I looked at Machi and asked her a questions.

"Machi, were you participating in the Hunter's exam the entire time?"

"Yeah. I was" She answered

"Really? How come you didn't say anything?" I asked

"Well, originally, I was given the order to bring you back. But then Chrollo found Hisoka and sent him instead. I was sent to spy on the two of you incase Hisoka failed to bring you back here" She said as we both looked at Hisoka.

Hisoka waved at us and gave us his creepy smile. Now that I think about it, I never had my questioned answered back at the hotel. I really wanted to know what was Hisoka's purpose for joining the Spiders. Too bad I can never get that answer.

"Let's have a little chit chat Aoi" Hisoka said as he started to walk away.

I followed after him and he led us to a small room. This room had a window where the moonlight or sunlight can beam through. It set off a very nice scenic view here.

"This area is my favorite spot" Hisoka said as he sat on the window ledge and made a pyramid with his cards.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" I asked, staring at him

"I just want to discuss about your little boyfriend and colleagues" Hisoka said with a smirk.

He was talking about Kurapika and the others.

"Why do you want to talk about them?" I asked

"Well, I did enjoy the misery in that boys eyes. It showed a beautiful color. Especially when I told him about your tattoo" Hisoka said

"Why did you tell him?" The tone of my voice made it obvious that I was angry.

"You took too long to respond. It was the only way to get you away from that group" Hisoka said as he shrugged his shoulders.

"That boy didn't want to believe me. I could tell he was trying to deny it" He said "To my surprise, I didn't think he was going to take off your glove in front of your other friends"

I looked at my hand. My glove was gone. Is it left with Kurapika?

"He looked like he was going to harm your cute little face. So I had to stop that" Hisoka said as he failed at making his pyramid.

Hisoka was right. It did look like Kurapika was going to harm me. I remember him raising his knife towards me. That made my heart ache.

"Can you tell me this Hisoka, did anything happened after you took me away from the group?" I asked, hoping there is something positive about Kurapika.

Hisoka sat there to think. Then he responded.

"Yeah. Something happened" He said

"Like what?" I asked, determined to know.

"First off, he wouldn't let go of your hand. He woke up after I moved your hand away from his." Hisoka said as he looked out the window.

"What? Kurapika woke up?" I asked

"Uh huh. He threatened me to not take you away from him"

"Oh..."

"I even told him how you didn't want to hurt his little feelings. Too bad I decided to make it all happen" He said with a smirk.

I glared at Hisoka

"He did, however, tried to call out your name as loud as he could. Too bad you were sound asleep like a baby" He said

"I didn't hear him..." I trailed off. I really didn't. I must've been in a deep sleep by then.

"I tell you, that boy sure is in love with you" Hisoka said

"What? Are you serious?" I asked.

Kurapika is in love with me? Is he telling me the truth?

"You two are very oblivious" Hisoka said. "I could see the love in your eyes when you two stare at each other. It was just so boring to watch"

Hisoka shuffled his cards. He was laying them the same way we played back at the hotel.

"What...did you tell him?" I asked

"I told him to come to Yorknew City in half a year. To search for you" Hisoka said as he looked at me

"You told him that?" I asked, surprised. Why would Hisoka tell him?

"Yeah. It'll make things more interesting with my time here." He said as he laid down on the window edge. "Maybe you'll see him. Maybe you won't. That's only for me to know"

I sighed in relief. At least all my friends are not harmed. This gave me a little bit of hope. There is a slight chance I may see Kurapika. Or at least I hope I could. But what should I do if he manages to track down the group? Is he going to kill anyone? Are any of my friends going to die?

"Thank you Hisoka. I really mean it." I said as I walked out of the room.

I never really thanked Hisoka before. That time he saved me at Trick Tower didn't count. I meant a sincere 'thank you'. It actually felt weird saying that to him.

Even though Hisoka had his own favorite private area, I had my own too. It was a little further down the hall. The area was similar to Hisoka's but mine had two wide windows opposite from each other. It was a pretty sight to watch the sky from both angles. This was also the exact spot where I thought about leaving this group.

I didn't think I'd be in this junkyard again.

"I'll probably see Kurapika in half a year huh?" I said to myself.

 _What will Kurapika do? Will I see my other friends too? How will I react when I see Kurapika? Confess my love? Hug him? Fight him?_

Too many questions swarmed in my head. I was getting a headache From all of this thinking.

All I can do right now is summon my flute and play some musical notes.

 _I'll be seeing you in half a year. Kurapika._


	21. First Auction

Time went by so slow. All we've been doing were jumping around in different cities to loot treasures. It's been half a year since I came back home from the Hunter's exam. This is also the time when Chrollo has an important mission for us.

"It's around the time for the annual auctions. Today, we will take all the items at an underground auction in Yorknew City. and I mean all of it" Chrollo said as he emphasized on 'all'.

"Leader are you serious? The world's greatest mafias are going to be there!" Uvo shouted

"Are you afraid Uvogin?" Chrollo asked calmly.

Uvo grinded his teeth so hard that his mouth bled. He was also shaking. But not in fear.

"I'm excited! Just give us the order Boss!" Uvo shouted in excitement.

"I give you all permission to kill anyone you desire at today's auction." Chrollo said

Uvogin was shouting in joy while everyone else were cracking parts of their bodies, eager for this to happen.

I, for one, frowned upon this. I didn't want to kill anyone. I don't even want to do this. But maybe it will give me an opportunity to see Kurapika.

"Aoi" Chrollo called out to me

"Uh..yes Boss?" I asked

"With your Hunter's license, I want you to use that to get into the auction building. You'll be the one who opens the back door to sneak everyone in." He said

"Yes sir"

"Shizuku, Make sure you use Blinky to clean up all the messes out there" Chrollo said to Shizuku

"Y-Yes sir!" Shizuku said.

"Now, I will only send out Franklin, Machi, Uvogin, Shalnark, Aoi, Nobunaga, Feitan and Shizuku. The rest of you will stay here. You're not needed yet"

We all bowed towards Chrollo and the eight of us headed off. The auction starts at 9pm and we managed to get there an hour before. I walked in front of everyone and turned around.

"Okay guys. I'll meet you in the back. I'm going in." I said

"Give us a call if anything suspicious happen" Nobunaga said

"No problem" I said and headed towards the building entrance.

I was about to go through but I was stopped by an security guard.

"Miss, what is your purpose here?" He asked

"I'm here for the auction" I said as I held up my Hunter's license.

The man looked at it for a while before letting me in.

"My apologies. You may pass" He said

"Thank you" I bowed and went inside.

I felt nervous. Not because of me acting like a suspicious person, but because of a chance that I may see Kurapika. I remember Hisoka telling me that he told Kurapika to be here at this time of the year. As of right now, I'm praying that I don't bump into Kurapika. I don't want to have to face him yet. I wouldn't know what to do if the rest of the group saw him.

I walked down a couple of hallways and took a staircase that leads to the basement area. I reached to the area where I was supposed to open the back door for everyone else but there was a guard there.

I hid behind the corner of a wall and looked at him.

What should I do? Knock him out? Kill him?

"Excuse me, sir?" I asked as I approached the guard

"Hey. You're not supposed to be in this part of the building. The auction rooms are back upstairs. How did you get down here?" He questioned me

"I'm sorry. I was actually looking for the restroom and I got lost" I said, trying to act as a lost girl.

"Really? I guess I'll have to take you back upstairs then" The guard said. "Follow me"

He stepped away from the door and walked right past me. I took this opportunity to summon my flute out.

"Are you here alone?" The guard asked as he turned around.

I was standing there, flute out, thinking about my decision on whether to kill him or not.

"What are you doing!? You're not lost are you!?" He shouted

"I'm very sorry. Please forgive me" I said as I pierced his chest with my flute.

"Gah!"

The guard fell to the ground as blood poured out from his chest.

"I'm sorry sir. It was the only decision I had. If I let you live, I don't think everyone else would spare you" I said as I cleaned my flute.

I walked to the back door and opened it. To my surprise, no one was there.

"W-What? Where is everyone?" I asked myself

After waiting around five minutes, everyone finally showed up.

"Sorry we're late" Machi said

"Did you guys get lost or something?" I asked

"Shizuku got distracted from a crowd and participated in an arm wrestling match with some scrawny kid" Feitan said

"Did you win Shizuku?" I asked her

"No. That little boy was pretty strong. And I wanted that diamond too" Shizuku said with a frown.

"Don't worry Shizuku. We're thieves, we'll probably find better treasure than that diamond" Shalnark said

"Yeah. I guess so" She said

"By the way, I need you to use Blinky to clean this up for me" I stepped to the side a little to reveal the corpse.

"Wow kid. You killed that guy for sure" Uvogin said as he patted my head.

"Yeah, I had no other choice" I whispered

So Shizuku summoned Blinky, her vaccum, and cleaned the mess on the floor.

"Franklin, Shizuku and I will take care of the auction room. The rest of you, go to the vault and take all the loot" Feitan said

"I guess we'll meet back here when everything is done" Nobunaga said.

With that, Shalnark, Nobunaga, Machi, Uvogin and I made our way towards the vault. It was guarded by a group of men.

"Don't worry guys. I got this" Shalnark said as he took out his cell phone.

He pressed a couple of buttons to gain control of them. They moved away from the vault and Uvogin came in to kill them.

"Well that was refreshing! Fresh blood!" Uvo yelled

"You're going to attract attention if you scream like that" Nobunaga said

"Aoi, give me a hand here" Machi said

She was looking at the vault lock. It had a huge number combination code.

"Think you can use your bass to open this?" She asked

"No problem" I said as I summoned out my bass.

We quickly went through each number as my strings were vibrating on whether or not it was the right code.

We eventually unlocked the vault door and opened it.

"I got it! Let's open it"

"Let's see what papa gets to bring home!" Uvo yelled as he opened the door

Inside the vault, was an empty room.

"Empty!?" Nobunaga shouted

"What the hell?" Machi said

"Where did it all go?" I asked

"I have a hunch the mafia knew we were coming and moved all of the loot" Shalnark said

"If they moved it, where would it be?" Machi asked

"Well, I just hacked into the building system. It says that all the loot was relocated just a few hours ago. Doesn't tell us the new location" Shalnark said

"Damn. This was a waste of my time then" Nobunaga said as he spit at the ground.

"Aoi, How about you go back to the others and inform them. We'll meet you guys at the back entrance." Machi said

"Alright" I said as I turned around and ran toward the auction room.

When I arrived there, I see an entire room full of corpses. It was hard to see this view at first but I got used to it.

"Oh? Aoi, what are you doing here?" Shizuku said while using Blinky to clean everything up.

"Did something happen?" Franklin asked

I walked up to the three of them and explained what happened.

"Tch. Shalnark should've done some better research before coming in here" Feitan said, annoyed.

"Maybe this guy will know" Franklin said as he pointed to an injured man

"Y-You guys...are t-the...Spiders!" The man screamed

"Yeah? So what?" Feitan said

"Should I kill him now?" Franklin said

"Not yet" Feitan said as he approached the injured man. "Tell me, where are all the treasures? I know you guys relocated them."

"I-I don't know!" The man yelled

"Aoi, is he lying?" Shizuku asked

I already summoned my bass, prepared for their lies. The strings vibrated lightly.

"This man is telling the truth" I told Feitan.

"Y-You're all going to die! The mafia will hunt you down! Kill you and your families! Wipe you out of existence!" The man shouted.

"That's very hurtful sir" I said, glaring at the man.

"What family? We don't have any family" Feitan said

Franklin changed his arm into a machine gun and finished off the man. I actually didn't really feel sympathy towards him. Maybe it was just me getting used to all the killings again.

"We should head back to the basement. The others are waiting for us there." I said

"Alright. Let's go." Feitan said just as Shizuku finished cleaning the entire area.

As we reached to the back entrance, Shalnark prepared a hot air balloon for us to escape.

We all hopped on made our way back to Junkyard city.

"Hey Boss. The vault is empty! What now?" Uvogin said on his cellphone call to Chrollo. "Yes sir. We'll take care of it."

He hung up and then sighed.

"What's wrong Uvogin?" Shalnark

"I heard the Shadow Beasts are on their way to stop us" Uvogin answered

"What? Who are the Shadow Beasts?" I asked

"They're the ten elites chosen by the mafia ever single year." Nobunaga said

"They're main priority are to stop thieves like us" Machi said

"They claim to be the strongest people in the world. I call bull. I bet I can kill them all by myself!" Uvogin shouted

"Who knows, maybe one of the shadow beasts took the auction items before we arrived there" Feitan said

"That is a possibility. They were probably one step a head of us" Shalnark said

"I think we've been spotted" Franklin said as he pointed to a deserted area outside of Yorknew City.

There were dozens of mafia cars parked around there. One of the mafia crew managed to shoot down our hot air balloon with a bazooka.

"Hold on tight guys. We're going to land" Shalnark said as he controlled the balloon to a safe spot to land.

The cars followed us deep into the desert as we landed on top of some cliffs.

"Do these guys think they can stop us?" Nobunaga said

The cars stopped and out came a huge number of regular mafia members. None of them were what claimed to be the Shadow Beasts.

"Leave this to me! I need to kill some more meat!" Uvogin shouted as he darted down towards the crowd of mafia people.

"By all means, go ahead." Nobunaga said.

"You guys wanna play cards while we wait for Uvogin?" Shizuku said as she held up a pack of cards.

"You actually brought that with you?" Machi asked

"Yeah, I asked Hisoka for some cause I wanted to play" She said with a smile.

"Might as well. We'll be bored" Nobunaga said

"I'll join too" I said as some of us gathered in a circle to play cards while Feitan and Franklin watched Uvo kill people.

Uvo took his sweet time killing those people one by one. They are just asking for a death wish if they go up against him. He's a beast.

"Oi. I think the Shadow Beasts are here" Franklin said.

"Yeah. Only four of them showed up though" Feitan said

We stopped out little card game and observed. Uvo did get injured a bit from those guys, but he killed each of them within fifteen minutes. So it wasn't much.

"Hey! Shizuku! Can you suck up these leeches off of me!?" Uvogin yelled as he sat on the ground.

He was done with his killing spree since the area was empty now.

"Huh? You got leeches in your body?" Shalnark said

We ended our card game and went down towards Uvo. He had little pieces of flesh ripped off by one of the Shadow Beasts along with his shoulder covered in leeches. It was disgusting.

"Jeez Uvogin, you actually let them touch you like that?" Nobunaga said

"Wasn't my fault. I was just playing around." Uvo said

"You need to be careful Uvo" I said

"Don't worry kid. I'm fine. See?" Uvogin said

He tried to raise his arm, but within a fraction of a second, his entire body was surrounded by chains.

"Aaaahhhh!" Uvo screamed as the chains dragged him away from us.

We were all caught by surprise. Somehow, someone managed to kidnap Uvogin right in front of us.

"Don't worry guys, I threw a needle thread at him. We can still trace him if we hurry" Machi said

"Great. Now we'll have to rescue him" Nobunaga said

"Aoi, how about you head back home and report to the Boss about this first" Shalnark said

"Eh? I'm not coming along?" I asked

"No. Just go back. Besides, I don't even think we can all fit in the car" Nobunaga said as he walked up to a vacant mafia car.

"I guess you're right" I said.

I summoned my Viola out and played a couple of notes. A musical cloud formed around my feet and I flew my way back to headquarters.

For some strange reason, my necklace was acting up. It was shaking violently around my neck.

"Huh? What's wrong?" I asked but then it stopped shaking.

I wonder what that was about. My necklace never reacted like that before. It was pretty strange.

As I continue to make my way back home, I a lot of thoughts swarmed through my mind.

I was actually kind of relieved that I didn't see Kurapika. I don't know how I would've handled my emotions if I saw him.

I do wonder who is the person that kidnapped Uvogin from us though. I do pray for his safety. Hopefully everyone else can rescue him. I wouldn't want anything to happen to them. They're my family.


	22. Information

"Where is everyone else Aoi?" Chrollo asked while reading his book

I just got back to our hideout while the others were still searching for Uvo.

"We were under attack by the mafia and Shadow Beasts. Uvogin got kidnapped by a person who used a chain. Nobunaga ordered me to come back and report to you while everyone else went to rescue Uvo." I said

"I see" Chrollo said, still reading his book.

I bowed to him and walked towards Pakunoda. I looked around the area and noticed that Hisoka disappeared.

"Paku, where's Hisoka?" I asked

"That guy mentioned something about meeting up with a special friend. He'll be back" She said, looking at me.

"I see."

I wonder who is this friend he's meeting up with. Is he secretly doing something aside from this group?

"Aoi" Paku called out to me

"Yes Paku?" I asked

"Would you let me look through your memories to see what you were up to outside of this place?" She asked

I looked at her. Why does she want to look through my memories?

"I'm sorry Paku. I can't let you look into my memory." I said

I can't let her. My memories contain stuff about Kurapika. I can't let her know that I've been talking to a survivor, let alone be in love with him.

"Why not?" She asked

"I want my memories to be private. I sort of, don't want anyone looking into them. It's personnel." I answered

She looked at me for a long minute. Then she smiled.

"Very well. I'll respect your privacy" She said

"Thank you" I smiled back.

"I do wonder what's taking them so long. I can't believe Uvogin actually let himself get caught like that" Paku said

"I don't know either. But Uvo did look like he had a lot of fun killing them" I said

The next three to four hours passed by in silence as Shalnark and the others came up, with no Uvogin.

"What? No Uvogin?" Phinks asked

"Well, we did rescue him. But he said that he wants to go after the chain-user. He mentioned he won't come back until the chain user is taken care of." Shalnark said

"A chain user huh?" Chrollo said as he put the book down and looked at us.

"Something you want to share Boss?" Feitan said

"This chain-use, may be someone who is a manipulator with nen. Even Uvogin is our strongest, there is a slight chance that he may not win a one on one fight with this person." Chrollo said

"What!? What makes you think that!?" Nobunaga shouted

I could tell Nobunaga is a bit upset. Uvogin is really close to him. It would kill him if something happened to Uvo.

"These manipulation users has a tendency to create objects that can be made specifically against your powers. It would be annoying if we get caught into that mess" said Chrollo.

"Darn...I should've went with him.." Shalnark said quietly.

"So what should we do now?" Machi asked

"For now, we'll wait until nightfall tomorrow. That'll give Uvogin a day to come back. If he hasn't returned to us by then, we'll change our plans for the next auction." Chrollo said

"That's it? We're just going to wait?" Nobunaga asked

"No. I have something for you to do" Chrollo said.

He got up from his seat and looked at each of us. I think he's planning something right now.

"Nobunaga, Machi, Pakunoda and Phinks. I want the four of you to go out in the city tomorrow and scout for information on the chain-user." Chrollo said.

"Okay" Machi said

"Yeah. Whatever" Nobunaga said

Phinks and Pakunoda nodded their heads as a response.

"Okay. Everyone else, you have permission to do whatever you want until nightfall. I will see you then"

With that, Chrollo disappeared for the rest of the day and left us to do whatever we want to do.

I went to my usual quiet room and played with my flute until morning.

* * *

Nobunaga, Machi, Pakunoda and Phinks changed to their disguises and made their way to the city.

"Aoi, keep and eye out here. We'll be back" Nobunaga said

"Yes sir" I said

As soon and they left, I noticed Hisoka walking into our hideout.

"Hisoka, where have you been all night?" I asked.

"Just visiting a friend" Hisoka answered

"What did you do with that friend?" Bonolenov asked

I looked at Bono and see that he senses something suspicious. He has always been a quiet person. He usually talks when he senses something suspicious or dangerous.

"It's okay Bono. Don't be suspicious about Hisoka." I said, walking over to Bono

"I don't like this guy" Bono said as he glared at Hisoka and sat at his spot

I turned around and looked at Hisoka.

"Hisoka, seriously, who is this friend you were talking to?" I asked, sitting next to him.

Hisoka didn't answer. He only smirked towards me. Then he looked around as if making sure no one else is near us.

"Are you going to answer?" I asked, a bit annoyed.

"I was speaking to your boyfriend last night" He said, looking into my eyes.

My eyes widened. He was speaking to Kurapika?

"H-He's not my boyfriend..." I said quietly, stuttering.

"Would you like to know what we did during out little meeting?" He asked, teasing me in a way

"I guess so." I answered

"Hm. You're boring." Hisoka pouted. "We exchanged information"

"What kind of information?"

"Things about our little activities and our members" He smirked

"You told him about us going to that Underground auction? Am I right?" I asked

"Correct"

"Why are you telling him information about this group?"

"I am not going to answer that" He said as he looked away

"You're so annoying" I said, glaring at him.

"Don't you want to know how your boyfriend has been after six months?" Hisoka asked

I looked at him. I haven't talked or seen Kurapika ever since he found out about my membership with the group. I really did wonder what he's been up to after all this time.

"Yeah. I do want to know" I said

"He said he's been training. Training on getting rid of this group" He said

I felt like my heart shattered. He's been training on killing everyone here. It makes me feel nervous about seeing him, if I ever get the chance too.

"You know, he has been asking about information on you too" Hisoka said

"What? Me?" I asked

Hisoka nodded his head.

"Yup. He wanted to know if you're still alive and well. I told him you're doing just fine" He smirked

"I guess I'm fine." I said with a slight frown.

I really did miss Kurapika, Leorio, Killua and Gon. I wish I could be with them again. I missed the laughter and fun we had back at the Hunter's exam. It really was a good time outside of the Phantom Troupe.

I got up and walked towards Shalnark. I guess I'll talk to him for a bit.

"Hey Shal" I said with a smile

"What's up Aoi?" He asked

"How was Uvo before he disappeared?" I asked

"Well, after you left, we rescued him at some mafia hideout. They tied him to a table. It sort of looked like they were interrogating him. Luckily, we killed everyone there." He said

More killing. Great. As if that doesn't get tiring to them.

"So why did Uvo want to hunt down the chain user?" I asked

"He said that he didn't like how he easily lost to him like that and how it wasn't fair because he was paralyzed for that second." He said with a sigh.

"I hope Uvo comes back to us" I said with a frown

"Don't worry. It's Uvogin. Even thought Chrollo said he might lose, I still have faith that he'll return to us. It'll be okay" He said.

He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and hugged me.

It would really suck to lose members from the Phantom Troupe. They mean so much to me.

"Welcome to out hideout" I heard Pakunoda say outside of the doors.

It sounded like as if Paku, Nobunaga, Machi and Phinks has brought guests to our home.

"They're back. And they brought some people to us" Shalnark said

The doors slowly opened. Everyone was silent. Nobunaga and Machi walked in first.

"We're back" Nobunaga said

"We kidnapped some kids in the process of our information hunt" Machi said

 _Kids? Who are these kids Machi mentioned?_

"Why did you kidnap them?" Shalnark asked

"They were following us. So we took them along with us" Nobunaga said

"Let's go, move it" Phinks said as he pushed the two kids into our hideout.

My eyes widened in shock.

 _How did they end up here?_

 _What are they doing in this area?_

 _Why are they here in the first place?_

 _Did they come here alone?_

 _Where is everyone else?_

My mind swarmed with questions as I locked eyes with Gon and Killua, the two kids they kidnapped.


	23. Gon and Killua

Gon and Killua stepped foot into our hideout. I was very shocked to see them here. I even felt fear and nervousness. I really hope they don't mention me in front of everyone else. It would make things complicated for them.

I walked back to where Hisoka was sitting and sat next to him.

Hisoka placed his finger to his lips, indicating to keep quiet and act normal.

My eyes locked on with Killua and Gon.

 _We don't know each other!_ I thought in my head. Hoping they would get the idea.

"Ah!" Gon said out loud.

Hisoka and I quickly looked away, pretending we don't know them.

"Hm? What's wrong? You know someone here or something?" Nobunaga asked

 _Gon you idiot! He's going to make his life more complicated!_

"Uh...t-that girl!" Killua said

I looked at Killua and he seemed to be pointing at my direction. What is he doing!?

"T-That's the girl we arm wrestled with earlier!" Killua said

"Hm?"

I turned around and noticed that Shizuka was sitting behind us. I think Killua is pointing at her.

"Do you recognize them Shizuka?" Phinks asked

"Hm? No. I don't remember" She said

"Oh? But didn't you lose that kid to an arm wrestling match for a diamond yesterday" Franklin said

I looked at Gon. He's the one Shizuka lost to? That means Gon and Killua has been in Yorknew city for a while then.

"It's not use. She'll never remember. Lucky for them, I do remember them." Feitan said.

I quietly sighed in relief. Thank goodness Shizuka was sitting behind us or it would've made Gon's reaction suspicious.

"So, you beat Shizuka huh?" Nobunaga said, looking at Gon

"Uh...yes" Gon said

"Then play against me" Nobunaga said as he put his hair up

"No! Don't Nobunaga!" I shouted

I quickly got up and hopped down towards them.

"Huh? Why not Aoi?" He asked

I know his strength, he's going to break Gon's arm if he arm wrestle with him.

"He's just a kid Nobunaga. You're going to hurt him" I said

I tried not to make eye contact with Gon or Killua. I know if I do, someone would sense something.

"You're telling me on what not to do?" Nobunaga said, feeling annoyed

Why is Nobunaga ticked off easily today?

"Uh..not really..I just..." I didn't know what else to say.

"Aoi, do these kids mean anything to you?" Paku said as she walked up to me

I looked at her. Should I say yes or no? I don't know...

"They don't mean anything to her. Don't you remember, she doesn't like to see children get hurt. That's all." Hisoka said with a smile.

I still avoided eye contact with the kids. So I just looked at the ground. Feeling bad on what I'm about to say.

"Yeah. I don't know them. It's just the fact that their kids. You can arm wrestle with him Nobunaga" I said as I went back to sitting next to Hisoka.

* * *

After hearing around 10 slams on the table, Gon's right hand was bleeding.

Nobunaga easily beat Gon at arm wrestling each time and he kept saying "One more time"

It was really hard to watch. Gon was having a lot of trouble with this. I felt bad for making this happen. I wish I could've prevented this.

"One more time" Nobunaga said. "Go!"

Again, another hard slam on the table.

"You know kid, we had a really strong guy in our group. His name was Uvogin. He would've broke your hand like squishing an ant. Too bad he was killed by the chain user" Nobunaga said cold-heartedly

"W-What? He was killed?" I asked

"Yeah. We heard word around the street that Uvogin died from the chain user" Pakunoda said

Now I understand why Nobunaga is acting like this. He's sad about Uvogin's death.

"Now, I'm going to ask this again, what do you know about the chain user?" He asked

"We told you already. We don't know this chain user" Killua said.

Had they discussed before arriving here? Is that why Gon and Killua got kidnapped?

"Kid, next you talk to me like that, you're gonna die" Nobunaga said in a deadly voice.

This made Killua shut his mouth.

I feared for their lives. Gon and Killua shouldn't have gotten themselves involved with us. They're going to die if they make a mistake.

"I won't forgive that guy" Nobunaga said as he started to break into angry tears. "I'll kill anyone that gets in my way of finding that chain user. I don't even care if it means I kill a bunch of kids!"

He once again slammed Gon's hand on the table. Then they went at it 'one more time'.

"I'm pretty sure you two know this chain user. He was recently hired by the Nostrad family. Judging from what happened to Uvogin, I believe this chain user has some sort of hatred towards the Spiders." Nobunaga said

I don't know who has been hired by what clan. But Nobunaga got to me when he mentioned that the chain user has a hatred towards us.

Could it be? Is the chain user...Kurapika?

I looked at Killua and stood behind him. He made a facial expression as if he has a clue of who Nobunaga is talking about.

Does this indicate that they weren't in contact with Kurapika at all during the past six months?

If the chain-user is Kurapika, then that means, he managed to kill a member of the Spiders.

I lowered my head and stared at the ground. A single tear was shed. Uvo is gone. The family I have with the Phantom Troupe, they really are going to die. It's going to happen to all of us.

"I don't know who the chain user you're talking about is. But, if I do know, I wouldn't have told you anyways" Gon said as he looked at Nobunaga.

"Oh? Really?" He said

"Yeah. I see that you have strong feelings about your friend. But, how about you show some of that sad feeling towards the people you killed!?" Gon shouted

He somehow got the adrenaline to slam Nobunaga's arm to the table.

We all looked at this event in shock. Gon actually beat Nobunaga this time.

In an instant, Feitan showed up behind Gon and pinned him to the table.

"What kind of game do you think you're playing punk?" Feitan said

"Gon!" Killua shouted

Knowing everyone else here, they would kill Killua if he moves an inch. So I took out my flute and held it to his neck. Then I went close to his ear and whispered.

"Don't move, if you do, you will die for sure. So stay still" I whispered to Killua.

He just stood in place. Not moving an inch as we look at Gon.

"Answer this question for me kid. Do you know the chain-user or not?" Feitan asked

"I don't know anything. So I'm not telling you" Gon responded

"Tch. Too bad kid"

I looked at Feitan and I knew exactly what he's about to do.

"Feitan don't" I said

"Don't what?" Feitan said as he looked at me

"I know you're about to kill him. Don't you dare do it" I said as I glared at him.

I cannot let anyone hurt them. I don't want to risk their lives.

"I don't care how much you're important in this group Aoi, but who are you to order me around?" Feitan said

"I don't care either. But I will not let you lay a finger on either one of them!" I shouted

Feitan and I glared at each other for a minute.

"Oh! Feitan. Stop it" Franklin said

"Yeah. Don't break the rules. No fighting with other members of the group" Machi said

"Especially with Aoi. Boss won't like that at all" Shizuku said

"You know better not to mess with her" Nobunaga said. "We'll resolve this in a coin toss. If Feitan get's it right, then the kid dies"

Nobunaga took out a coin and tossed it in the air.

This only gives me half a second to think about my choice. Usually tails get a better result than heads.

"Heads" called Feitan

"Tails" I called out.

The coin landed on Nobunaga's hand as he covered it.

Sweat was coming down my face. If it's tails, then Gon will stay alive. But if it's heads, I will have to find a way to fight off Feitan to prevent him from killing Gon and I know for sure the rest of the members wouldn't allow us to fight.

"Leave him alone Feitan. It's tails. Aoi wins" Nobunaga said

"Tch. Whatever"

Feitan let go of Gon and took a couple steps back. I put my flute away and let Killua go to Gon.

"So, what do we do with them now?" Shizuku asked

"How about we let them go? Since they claim they don't know anything. Right Pakunoda?" Franklin said

I didn't realize that Paku was quiet for a while. However, I did see that she has been staring at me the whole time too.

"I examined them on the way here. There was no trace of the chain-user in their memories" She said

Crap! I didn't think that she'd look into their memories before getting here! Did she see me in their memories then? Could that be why she's been staring at me the whole time? If so, is that why she asked if they mean anything to me? Could she be keeping this a secret from everyone else?

"That's odd. Your suspicions on them must be wrong Machi" Nobunaga said

"I could've sworn they would know something about this guys" Machi said

"Then we can let them leave right?" Franklin said

"Yeah. It's pointless to keep then around." Shalnark said

"No. Don't let them leave yet" Phinks said

"What? Why not?" I asked

"What if, this chain user earned this nen ability after a certain time? They could know this chain-user without knowing this ability. Keep them here. Let's make sure we get every information we can out of them" Phinks said

Damn. Just when I thought we could let them go safely.

"But then these kids have nothing to do with the chain-user. That guy probably acts on his own. There's no way they would know someone like the chain-user" Shalnark said

"Whatever. Then we'll let them go" Feitan said

"They're not leaving my sight" Nobunaga said.

We all looked at Nobunaga.

"Hey kid. You're pretty strong. Join the Spiders" He said, looking at Gon.

What? He's asking Gon to join us? That's ridiculous. He would never do anything like that.

"No way." Gon said

"And why's that?" Nobunaga asked

"I rather die than join this clan!" Gon shouted

I looked at Gon. Those were some strong words coming out from his mouth. I was actually relieved to hear him say that.

"That's rich. We're going to keep these kids here until the Boss returns" Nobunaga said

"What? We're seriously keeping them here?" Shalnark asked

"Whatever. I don't care if they escape from here" Machi said

"We'll keep them in a room. One of us will guard them" Nobunaga said

"I'll do it" I said. I can keep a good eye on them without having anyone else speak to them.

"Why you?" Feitan asked

"Because, I think I'm a better candidate to watch over them. That's all" I said, glaring at Feitan.

"Let her do it" Paku said. "I think it'll be less intimidating to them if Aoi is the one guarding the room"

She looked straight into my eyes. I know she knows something about the three of us.

"Thank you Paku" I said

"Alright. Bring them to the room" Nobunaga said as he and Phinks dragged Killua and Gon to a single room with one door and no windows.

"Well Aoi. Have fun watching them. We're going to go out and investigate on the Norstrad family at the next auction. They were the ones who kidnapped Uvogin before." Shalnark said

"Okay. Give me a call if anything" I said

With that, everyone else head out while I locked myself inside the room with Gon and Killua.

* * *

It was silent for almost an hour. I wanted to clearly make sure no one was around the junkyard city before I can speak to them.

"Killua. Gon." I called out their names.

"Miss Aoi..." Killua said

"It's good to see you Aoi" Gon said.

"Yeah. How have the two of you been in the past six months?" I asked

"We were training. We learned our nen abilities" Killua said

"That's good. You'll need that if you are to fight everyone here" I said

"Aoi, how come you didn't tell us?" Gon asked

I looked at him. I could tell he was sad.

"I'm sorry I never told any of you. I thought you guys would hate me if I told you the truth." I said as I lowered my head.

"I'm not mad at you Miss Aoi" Killua said

"Neither am I" Gon said

"What about Leorio and Kurapika?" I asked

"We actually met up with Leorio a few days ago. We talked about you. He said that he would like to see you again" Killua said

"I know Leorio said he would forgive me no matter what. I guess he really meant it." I said

A few tears streamed down my face.

"I can't believe you two got involved with them" I said

"We wanted to find you" Gon said

"Why?" I asked

"To bring you back to our group" Killua said with a smile

My eyes widened in shock. They're willing to accept me even though I was a killer?

"T-That's good to hear" I said, preventing anymore tears to come out

"We miss you Aoi" Gon said

"I'm pretty sure Kurapika misses you too. Even though we haven't seen him in six months" Killua said

"Even so, you heard my friends. The chain user" I said

"Yeah. It's most likely him" Killua said

"Huh? What? Kurapika is the chain-user?" Gon said

"Gon, you're such an idiot" Killua said, shaking his head

"Oh! That makes a lot of sense now!" Gon said

"I wish I could see Kurapika. But I prefer not to. For the moment" I said with a slight smile

"Why's that?" Gon asked

"He killed Uvogin. Nobunaga is hunting Kurapika down. I don't think it's the right time to see him." I said

"I guess you're right." Killua said

I looked at them for a while. I'm so happy to see them. It gave me a warm feeling in my heart for a little bit.

"Escape" I said

"Huh?" Gon said

"What are you talking about Miss Aoi?" Killua asked

"I want the two of you to act as if you escaped from my watch. Now!" I shouted

"But we don't want to leave you" Gon said

"No. Go. I have to stay here. I want the two of you to get out of here. It's way to dangerous to stick around them." I said

"Can we tell Kurapika that we saw you Miss Aoi? I'm pretty sure he'd be happy to hear that" Killua said

"Yes. When you have a chance to call him, let him know, I miss him" I said with a smile.

"Gotcha Miss Aoi" Killua said as he gave me a thumbs up.

"Ready to escape Killua?" Gon asked

"Yup. Ready." Killua answered

"See you later Aoi" Gon said

"We will try and get you back with us Miss Aoi" Killua said

"Let's go!"

With that, Killua and Gon broke through opposite walls, away from the door. They broke every other wall they see until they reached outside Junkyard City. They managed to escape in one peace.

I just stood there, tears streaming down my face. I was really glad to see them. I was also happy to know that Leorio and Kurapika are doing fine.

Yet, I'm sad that Uvogin died in the hands of Kurapika. This is happening way too fast. Who is the next person to die if they ever cross paths with Kurapika again?

Just then, my cellphone started ringing. It was Chrollo. So I answered it.

"Hello? Chrollo?"

"Aoi. Just to let you know, our plans has not changed. We are invading the auction as of right now. This destruction, is an orchestra in memory of Uvogin." Chrollo said

I can hear the sound of bombs, gun shots and screams in the background. That is something Uvogin would love to hear.

"I can hear it Boss" I said

"I heard there were two boys with you. How are they?" He asked

"I'm sorry sir. But they just escaped before you called" I said

"What a shame." He said. "It doesn't matter. We're bringing home the treasures tonight. I want you to come to the next auction site now. Assist the others in retrieving the treasures"

"Okay Chrollo" I said

I hung up the phone and started walking out of Junkyard City. I feel like I'm really close to seeing Kurapika again.

However, I do have to prepare myself for anything that happens. I will have to be more careful now that the members of the Spiders has seen Killua's and Gon's faces. I can't let them be seen again. That's another priority for me.


	24. Heartbeat

I ran as fast as I could to the auction site. The entire area around the building were full of corpses and destructive, broken down cars.

All of these corpses were from the supposedly best mafia members out there.

It was a bit pathetic that they wasted their lives out here. I felt bad that they died though. Too many lives has been wasted all because we are out here to steal some treasures.

I eventually made my way inside the building without attracting attention from the guards.

I got behind the stage in the auction room just as Hisoka and Machi killed a random man.

"Aoi? What are you doing here?" Machi asked

"Well, the two kids escaped" I said, looking at Hisoka. "And Chrollo told me to come here and assist you guys"

"I see, well, lets bring the items to Shizuka and Kortopi so that they can work on making copies" Machi said

"Alright" I said as the three of us dragged the items to Shizuka and Kortopi.

"Ladies and Gentleman! Sorry for the wait! Let's start the auction!" yelled the announcer for the auctions.

I looked at Shalnark to see that he is the one controlling the man.

"Aoi?" Shalnark said, surprised to see me along with everyone else.

I explained to them that Gon and Killua managed to escape from my watch.

"Hmph. Well I guess they really are useless" Nobunaga said

"We don't have to worry about them anymore." Franklin said

"Come on, give me the next item" Pakunoda said

She was dressed in a beautiful gown. She was disguised to bring the fake items Kortopi are cloning for the audience to bid on.

"They're coming" Kortopi said

As he and Shizuka continued to make fake items for the auction. I peeked through and curtain to look into the audience. There were so many of them. All here just for these treasures.

"Oi. Aoi" Nobunaga said as he walked up to me.

"Yes Nobunaga?" I asked

"Go to the rooftop. You're needed up there." He said

"Huh? I am?"

"Yeah. Go already"

"Okay, I'll be back"

With that, I climbed through the air vents and made my way to the rooftop. When I got there, I noticed Chrollo, sitting there with bruises all over him.

"Boss!?" I shouted as I ran to him.

"Don't worry about me Aoi. These are just minor injuries." He said

"What did you want me up here for?" I asked

"I want you to do me a favor" He said

"What kind of favor?"

"I need you to use your Hunter's license, and hack into their computer systems. Don't worry about the people guarding in there. They've been taken care of a while ago. I need you to erase any trace of information on each of us." Chrollo said

"Everything?" I asked

"Everything. No trace of existence on us" He said

"Okay. I'll do it" I said

With that, I went through the same air vent and crawled to the computer room.

As soon and I got there, I noticed that there were two corpses, cards all over their face and bodies.

"How sad" I said to myself.

The person who did this is no other than Hisoka. I can't believe he can still kill so cold-heartedly. It's disgusting.

I gently moved the dead bodies so that I can have better access to the computers.

Once I hacked into the system, I searched up our information. The Hunter association had information about our date of birth, blood type, age, everything. They even had information on what we do for a living and our bounties.

One by one, I erased every single information on us. My job is to make sure we are erased out of existence. When my information came up, I looked at my bounty.

 _2 million dollars on Aoi's whereabouts. Must be ALIVE._

The word 'alive' was emphasized. Why does someone want to know about my whereabouts?

Unless it's Kurapika's bounty out there for me.

"And now! Our final item for the day!" I hear this through the security cameras. "This item is very rare for others to obtain because this clan was assassinated years ago"

My eyes shifted to a different screen on this system.

"The scarlet eyes! Bids will start at 100 million!"

Oh. My. God.

The scarlet eyes is one of the items we're stealing. That's unbelievable.

"I must get it back" I whispered to myself

I need to get those eyes and give them to Kurapika. He deserve to get them back. Even if it means I have to steal them from the group. Which will be extremely difficult to do.

I pulled up the camera screen from the auction room to get a better view of the bidding.

The numbers were going higher and higher until I heard a bid from a very familiar voice.

"500 million!"

My eyes immediately glued to the screen. I zoomed the video in to take a closer look at the person's face.

I feel like my mind is playing games on me. That voice. That face I see on the screen.

It's Kurapika.

"1.2 billion!"

Kurapika is there, right now, in that room.

"1.7 billion!"

Kurapika is here...

"2 billion!"

Kurapika...is here...

"2.5 billion!"

I missed you Kurapika. I'm sorry about everything.

"2.9 billion!"

Wait! He's bidding on a fake pair of scarlet eyes that Kortopi made!

"I need to tell him!" I said as I bolted up from my seat and turned around.

I was about to run out of the room but someone was there, blocking the door.

It was a small, stocky girl. She was bald at the top but straight hair around half her head. Her teeth was as if she was a rodent or something. She was holding a flute as well.

"Who are you?" I asked, being cautious of her

"Your heartbeat was very calm before, but then it went rapid as if you were showing fear" She said

"What do you want? Why are you here?" I asked

"I'm a music hunter. I came here because I heard your heartbeat from afar. Do not worry though, I do not wish to harm you. Spider member"

"Music Hunter? And how are you sure I'm a member of the Spiders?" I questioned

"The way your heart beats. It beats different than a normal person. Yours beat in a calm, yet rapid pace." She said

"Okay music hunter, what do you want with me?" I asked

"I noticed you staring at a screenshot of Kurapika" She said

My eyes widened. How does this girl know Kurapika?

"I-I don't know what you're talking about" I said

"Your heart has been beating rapidly ever since I said his name. That means you have a connection with him. You must be Aoi then. The girl he mentioned" She said while smiling at me.

Kurapika talked about me? To her? Just who is she?

"Who are you? Why is he talking about me?"

"I'm a bodyguard of the Norstrad family as well as Kurapika. He didn't really say much about you. But he mentioned that he was searching for a girl from the Phantom Troupe. That girl, is you" She said as she put her flute away.

"So, are you friends with him?"

"Indeed I am." She smiled

"Oh, I see."

What can I do? What can I say? This girl found me, is she going to tell Kurapika?

"I won't do anything" She said. "I just wanted to meet you. That's all."

With that, the music hunter disappeared. I walked up to the door and looked around. She was nowhere in sight.

I was confused. Did she really come here just to see me?

Whatever.

I shrugged it off and ran towards the auction room.

* * *

"Aoi, what took you so long?" Shalnark asked

"Sorry, Chrollo asked me to do something for him." I said

"Did you complete that task?" Pakunoda asked

"Yeah. It's been taken care of" I said

"Aoi turn, Aoi turn" Kortopi said

"Huh? Turn on what?" I asked

"We're making copies of ourselves to fool the mafia that we're dead" Shizuka said

I looked around and saw that there were copies of everyone else.

"Let's go Aoi. We have to go back to our hideout before reinforcements come." Machi said

So we're going to fool all the mafia and Hunter's association huh?

That must be why Chrollo wanted me to erase everyone's information. Leave us with no trace of existence. Sadly, I don't remember if I erased mine. My information might still be up there. Who knows...

"Aoi? You okay?" Paku asked

"Yeah. Can I request to not make a copy of myself?" I asked

"Hm? Why not?" Nobunaga asked

"Because..." I didn't know how to answer that.

The only reason why I didn't want this for me is because of Kurapika. It would be obvious to him that we are doing this as a decoy.

"Because, I have a feeling that seeing my copy of the dead body would lead into suspicions that we are faking it." I said with as much confidence as I could.

"That's bullcrap. Who would care about your body?" Feitan said

"Hey. That's not nice to her" Franklin said

"Whatever" He retorted

"What is your idea Aoi?" Bonolenov asked

"Nothing. I just, don't want a copy of myself. That's all" I said

"If Aoi doesn't want it, then respect her wishes" Chrollo said, appearing behind me

"Okay. I guess that's it. We have all the treasures here Boss" Shalnark said

"Excellent. Let us go home" Chrollo said

He took out his book of skills and flipped to a random page.

There, he gained a skill from one of the ten shadow beast members and had a cloak out.

Chrollo used the cloak, wrapped it around all the treasures and they disappeared.

"Where did it all go?" I asked

"Inside this piece of cloth" Chrollo said. "It'll make things easier to carry, now that I have this skill"

"If only Uvogin was here. This victory is for him" Nobunaga said

"It's about time we got these treasures" Machi said

"Alright everyone, time to go home and celebrate" Chrollo said as we all left the building.

I discreetly hear the reinforcements arrive at building and screams of 'They're dead! They're finally dead!'.

I took out my cellphone and looked at a message I had.

My phone showed me a missed call from an unknown number.

Along with that, there was a text message that read: **_I'm happy you're alive Aoi._**

Who wrote that message?

Leorio?

Gon?

Killua?

Kurapika?

It could be anyone.

But I do hope this message is from Kurapika though.

All I want is for his forgiveness.

Maybe that music hunter will speak to him about my encounter with her.

Maybe Gon and Killua already spoke to Kurapika and they somehow found my cellphone number.

Whatever the case may be, we got our treasures. Hopefully, we're done for the time being.

Today is a victory for the Phantom Troupe. Even though we sadly lost Uvo.

I do hope we won't have to cause any more trouble for a while.

Let us have a break.


	25. Predictions

"Cheers everyone!" Shalnark shouted as we all raised our beer and drank together.

"Well, we finally got the loot we needed" Machi said

"It was actually more troublesome than I imagined" Pakunoda said

"Congratulations everyone on a successful win on obtaining the loot" Chrollo said. "Let us raise our beer once more for our lost fellow, Uvogin"

"To Uvo" I said

We all clink beer cans once more and chugged the rest of the content.

After out little celebration, we all stood around Chrollo to await for his next insturctions.

"What do we do now Boss?" Phinks asked

"Tonight, we take our loot and we leave this place. It's over." Chrollo said

"Not yet" Nobunaga said

"What do you mean 'not yet'?" Machi asked

"It's not over until we find that chain-user guy" He said

"Do not make this a personal issue for you Nobunaga" Chrollo said

"I don't care. I'm making this personal to me." Nobunaga responded

"Be reasonable Nobunaga, Boss is speaking to you" Franklin said

"Are you making it an order for me not to go? Chrollo Lucifer?"

We all looked at Nobunaga, no one has ever said Boss's full name before. Let alone when we are being rebellious towards him.

Chrollo himself stared at Nobunaga for a long time while Nobunaga glared at him.

"Do you think Boss is angry?" I whispered to Shalnark

"Who knows, but Nobunaga may be in trouble" Shalnark whispered back

"This is boring" Hisoka said with a sigh.

Then, Chrollo his skills book out from his pocket.

"Answer a question for me Nobunaga" Chrollo said as he flipped through pages of the book

"Huh?" Nobunaga said, confused

"When's your birthday?" Chrollo asked

"September 8th, 1970"

"Blood type?"

"B"

"Full name?"

"Hazama Nobunaga! You know that already!"

With that, Chrollo used a skill from the book and started writing. His eyes were blank and I saw a small ghost around his left hand, controlling it as he wrote something down.

This took him about three minutes to write before Chrollo handed a different sheet of paper to me.

"This skill you all just witnessed, I stole it from a young lady from the Nostrad family." Chrollo said

"What does that skill do?" I asked

"It's the skill to write predictions that are 100% accurate through poetry. The paper I just handed out, that was my predictions written by her." Chrollo said

I looked at the paper and read the poem out loud for everyone to hear:

 _Part of a flower will be lost_

 _The rest of the petals will cry_

 _Each petal will wither, one by one_

 _They will fall for the eyes that cry for blood_

 _Although one loves those eyes._

 _However, the spider won't stop making it's web_

 _It may continue, even if it lost it's limbs_

"She knew nothing about Uvogin, but there he is, mentioned in my prediction. She is also the one responsible for telling the mafia about our plans for the auctions. Which is why we failed the first time." Chrollo said

"So then, did you just write up Nobunaga's predictions?" Franklin asked

"What did his say Boss?" Shizuku asked

"Ask him yourself" Chrollo said as he handed Nobunaga his paper

Nobunaga took the time to read it, then he had a confused look.

"I don't really understand it. But all I can get out of it, is that four of us are going to die within the next few weeks." Nobunaga said

"Does it say who?" Phinks asked

"I'm one of them. I don't know who the rest are, but it has the same line about the spider's limbs" Nobunaga said

"I can write all of your predictions right now. I need all of you to write your full name, date of birth and blood type on the sheet of papers" Chrollo said as he passed the papers around.

I stared at my blank paper.

I'm a bit nervous to write down my information. I sort of, don't want to know my prediction. It might reveal something to the whole group if they read it.

"What's wrong Aoi?" Paku asked

"It's nothing" I said with a faint smile

I started scribbling on my paper.

 _Name: Aoi_

 _Date of Birth: July 27_

 _Blood Type: B_

After we all wrote our information, we handed the papers to Chrollo.

He wrote our predictions, one by one. After returning the papers to us, I didn't look at it right away.

Instead, I stuffed it inside my pocket. I'm not ready to read it yet.

I started thinking.

 _Am I going to be one of the four that dies?_

 _Is my prediction going to talk about Kurapika?_

 _If so, I know for sure someone is going to read my prediction out loud._

 _They might know about who the true chain-user through these predictions._

 _Chrollo's prediction already mentioned about Kurapika, and me. Good thing no one pointed that out. Yet._

"These predictions may help us find loopholes around our fate. We can probably avoid the threats that are upon us" Chrollo said

"My prediction said that I'm going to die" Paku said

"Me too" Shalnark said

"Me also" Shizuka said

My heart felt like it twisted into knots. If we didn't read about these predictions, they would've seriously died. I don't even think I can handle their deaths if it ever happened. I don't even know how I was able to cope Uvo's death. But for Nobunaga, he's still taking it hard.

"Hisoka, let me see your prediction. You've been quiet the entire time" Paku said as he walked up to Hisoka.

Hisoka glared at Paku.

Does his prediction talk about Kurapika?

"If I were you, I wouldn't read this out loud" Hisoka said

"I insist, give it to me" She said

"Here" He tossed the paper to Paku as she read it.

Her face looked like as if she was surprised to read something.

"Look at this" She said as she three the paper to Franklin.

Franklin read it and had a shocked look on his face too. Then Shalnark took it.

"Aoi, read it" He said as he gave me the paper to read out loud.

 _A friend with red eyes will come to visit_

 _You sell him secrets about the flower petals_

 _You even tell him things about July_

 _Since he cares about that month the most_

 _You will eventually be alone with the one you desire_

 _For the main petal is the one you seek_

 _But remember, you are also a petal_

My eyes went wide. Hisoka's prediction talks about me in it. I know the first half of the poem talks about Kurapika and I but I don't understand the bottom half.

"Sell secrets huh?" Shizuka asked

"So the flower petals refer to us then" Franklin said

"Hisoka, did you sell out information to the chain-user about Uvogin then!?" Nobunaga shouted as he took his sword out

That's why Uvo died. Hisoka tells Kurapika information about our group. I just didn't think that Uvo would die out of all of us.

"How dare you sell out Uvogin!" Nobunaga screamed

He was about to strike at Hisoka until Franklin and Shalnark got in his way.

"Move it" He said

"Calm down Nobunaga" Shalnark said

"Let's hear what Hisoka has to say first" Franklin said

I walked up to Hisoka and stood next to him. I gave him back his paper.

"Explain yourself Hisoka!" Nobunaga shouted. "Is it true you've been giving information about us last week!?"

"Well, I can't tell you that. All I could say is that the first two sentences are true" Hisoka said

"Why can't you tell us!?" Nobunaga screamed

"I wish I could. But it's against my rules. I'm not allowed to tell anyone. Except for one" Hisoka said, smirking at me.

"Please don't fight Nobunaga. Violence isn't going to solve anything" I said

Nobunaga glared at Hisoka for a couple of seconds before putting his sword away.

"Yeah, you're right. It's pointless to fight" He said. "NOT!"

In an instant, Nobunaga moved past Shalnark and Franklin and made his way towards us. He was just about to fight Hisoka until he transported to a different spot in the room.

"W-What the!?" Nobunaga said

"How did he get over there?" I asked

"Nobunaga" Chrollo said. "Shut. Up."

"Woah, did Boss do that?" Phinks asked

"I guess so. I don't know what skill that was though" Machi said

"What a relief" I said, sighing that it was over.

"Hisoka" Chrollo said. "I'm going to ask you a series of questions. If you cannot respond, just say 'I can't say'. Got that?"

Hisoka nodded his head.

"What are the secrets you told this person?"

"Our nen abilities"

"All of us?"

"No, about 7 or 8 of us"

"Who?"

"Shalnark, Uvogin, Machi, Franklin, mine, Shizuku, yours and Aoi's"

"So eight of us?"

"Yes"

"What's the nen type of this guy?"

"I can't say"

"What does the guy look like?"

"I can't say"

"What's the relationship between you and this person?"

"I can't say"

"And you only discovered Kortopi's abilities yesterday. Am I right?"

"Yes"

"Okay. I understand" Chrollo said, finishing his series of questions

"Understand what?" Nobunaga asked

"This person Hisoka has been speaking, is most likely the chain-user. This person probably has two abilities. One is to use the chains to capture a person and the other one is something that is preventing Hisoka from answering certain questions" Chrollo said

"What would the other ability be?" Machi asked

"It would be something called 'Sword of the law' it imposes certain rules on a specific person. That means, there is a weapon hidden somewhere inside Hisoka, and it can harm the person if they break a rule." Chrollo said.

"That could probably be why Hisoka can't answer certain questions. So, if the chain user manipulates with a chain, could he materialize with the sword?" Shalnark said, thinking

"Possibly." Machi said

"So, Boss, what do we do? We stay here or we leave the city?" Franklin asked

Chrollo looked at all of us before making his decision.

"We stay" He said

"Good, I get to have my revenge then" Nobunaga said

"We will split up into groups to retrieve more information. Whether it is about the chain-user or the young lady whose skills I stole" Chrollo said

"Hm? Why the young lady?" Feitan asked

"She may be connected with the chain-user as well" Chrollo said.

"How?" Paku asked

"She is from the Nostrad family. She is known for collecting body parts. This means the chain-user was her bodyguard for a specific reason. Can anyone think?" Chrollo asked

"I got it!" Phinks said. "Those scarlet eyes"

"That's right! Her family did travel to Yorknew City just to obtain those eyes" Shalnark said

So that was why Kurapika bidded on those eyes. The girl he guards wanted those.

"We have the real one here though" I said. "I remember someone bidded on the fake copy."

"That is true. Maybe we can track their location and find out where the chain-user is" Shizuka said

"Kortopi, can you see where the fake ones are located?" Paku asked

"Yes. I use Nen. Let me see" Kortopi said

"Here they are" Machi said as she took out the eyes for Kortopi to exam.

Kortopi examined the item with his nen.

"I felt it, it's at the Takuru beach hotel" Kortopi said

"Good. I'm going" Nobunaga said "That bastard's mine!"

"Wait Nobunaga" Chrollo said

"What?" Nobunaga asked

"We're not going out individually. Now that we have a clue about the chain-user. We're going in groups" Chrollo said

"Alright, as long as I get my kill" Nobunaga said

"Bonolenov, Hisoka and Franklin, you stay here" Chrollo said. "The rest of us are going to that hotel"

"All together? Or separated?" I asked

"Separated. First group is Pakunoda, Machi and Shizuka, Nobunaga, Aoi, Kortopi and I. Second group, Feitan, Phinks and Shalnark." Chrollo instructed

"Wait Boss. Before we go, I have a concern" Machi said

"What would that be?" Chrollo asked

"Those two kids we kidnapped earlier" Machi said

"Oh? The ones you mentioned before." He said

"Oh yeah! I wanted to recruit them to our group!" Nobunaga said, excited

"Really? Did they accept the offer?" Chrollo asked

"Not really. Who knows, maybe we'll bump into them again" Nobunaga said

"Well that wasn't what I wanted to say, but I have this intuition that they may be connected with the chain-user." Machi said

"I see. If we do, we'll interrogate them once again" Chrollo said. "Let's go to Takuru beach hotel"

With that, Chrollo put his big furry jacket on and we headed out into Yorknew City.

 _Kurapika, I will most likely see you in a few hours._

 _I hope my friends managed to group up._

 _We may bump into each other, I pray that none of us gets hurt, or get killed._

 _Hopefully, those predictions we had are wrong._

I still didn't get a chance to read mine yet.

Maybe I'll read it when I'm alone.


	26. Hotel

It was raining now, we traveled through the city by foot along with taking the cities subway system.

We all stayed together as a group, being cautious of anything in our surroundings. We even used our abilities to cover ourselves, make ourselves invisible to the people of Yorknew City.

I'm being extra cautious in case I sense any of my friends around here. I need to make sure the Spiders don't get into contact with any of them.

"Which way Shizuka?" Chrollo asked

Shizuka was in charge of directions since she's holding the directory book of the city.

"Uhmm...I think it's that way" She was pointing towards east

We continued walking casually until Kortopi spoke

"It's moving" He said

"What's moving?" I asked

"The eyes, I can feel someone moving the eyes. It's as if the person is trying to run away" Kortopi said

"I guess we're going to hunt now. No more waiting" Chrollo said as he fixed his black jacket.

"We should hurry then" Nobunaga said

"Everyone, be prepared to fight anyone that is going to get in our way. Pakunoda, I want you to interrogate this person. Including questions about Uvogin. Nobunaga, you can do whatever you wish to do" Chrollo said

I felt my necklace act up. It was shaking vigorously again.

I looked around the rainy, foggy area. Someone is around, spying on us.

I can sense it. But I can't sense who exactly.

"Ready? Go!" Chrollo said

All seven of us bolted as we ran as fast as we could to the hotel.

We ran past each civilian on the streets and even ran on the sides of the wall. At the speed we were running, these people won't even notice us, we run as if it was a strong gust of wind.

"We're being followed" Chrollo said

"What? Since when?" Machi said

"I sensed it before but I couldn't pinpoint it" I said

Nobunaga took out his sword as if ready to fight.

"Is it the chain-user Boss? Let me at him!" Nobunaga said

"No. You, along with Pakunoda and Kortopi are going to follow that person who has possession of the eyes. The rest of us will take care of our follower. Go!"

With that, Paku, Nobunaga and Kortopi continued running while the rest of us stop and turned around with our weapons.

I had absolutely no clue who it is that's following us but I need to keep an eye out for my friends, if they're here.

"Don't loosen yourselves, stay invisible" Chrollo said

"Do you see anyone? Shizuka? Machi?" I asked

"I see a shadow hiding in an alley" Shizuka said

"and I see one hiding behind a mailbox" Machi added

I could feel my heart pounding.

My necklace, acting up again. It's trying to tell me that those two people hiding are people I know.

That means it's two of my friends. But which two?

I had my flute, out and ready, incase I had to attack anyone that will cause trouble for all of us.

It was quiet for two minutes. I looked around, looking for signs of any other person around. But I sensed nothing.

"Alright! I give up!" someone shouted

Oh no...it sounds a lot like Gon.

"Sorry! I promise not to following you guys anymore. I'm really sorry" Gon said as he popped out from behind the mailbox.

My jaw dropped. You can't be serious! I told him not to come back!

"It's you again" Machi said

"Is this the kid mentioned before Aoi?" Chrollo asked

"Yeah. This is one of the kids that escaped from me" I said

Just then, Killua came out from the alley.

I wanted to smack my forehead.

What on earth are they getting themselves into!

"You too?" Machi asked

"Yeah." Killua said

We both exchanged glances.

As I looked at Killua, I feel like something is up. He was making a facial expression I've never seen before. Something is being planned. Just what though?

"What should we do with them Boss?" Shizuka asked

"We keep them with us." Chrollo said as he took out his cellphone and made a phone call. "Phinks, meet us at Takuru beach hotel. End your search. We have a change of plans"

"Can't we just kill these two already?" Machi asked

"No. They're staying with us" Chrollo said as he hung up the phone.

"Why?" Machi asked

"There's a big possibility that they are connected with the chain-user. We'll go to the hotel. Meet up with everyone else there. If they try to run away this time, kill them" Chrollo said

With that, Machi used her thread and tied their hands behind their backs. We all started walking to the hotel with me staying in the very back of the group.

I remained silent the whole time. I would make things obvious if I tried talking.

* * *

We reached to the Takuru Beach Hotel. The inside of the hotel was gorgeous. It had many plants around the area and had a setting of a summer beach theme.

"We'll wait here in the lobby for everyone else. We'll guard by that pillar" Chrollo said as we went to the corner of the lobby.

There was a four-sided pillar where we stood around. We each picked a corner to guard. Machi was the one in charge of watching Gon and Killua.

I looked at Killua again. I can sense he's doing something. It looked as if he was secretly mouthing some words.

For what though?

Then it hit me, the music hunter!

 _Is she involved with the gang too? Is she helping Gon and Killua out with whatever is going to happen? Does this mean that Kurapika is nearby?_

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TIME OUR MEETING STARTS!?"

I heard a very familiar, idiotic shout.

I turned to where the voice came from, and there it is.

I see my good friend, Leorio.

He was sitting at a nearby couch, making a 'phone call'. I knew he was displaying a message for Killua and Gon. So I tried to listen to his conversation.

"Takuru Beach Hotel! Not Takoyaki hotel! You're such an idiot! Listen! Our meeting starts at 7pm sharp! Not a minute later or sooner! Can't meet this time? Then consider yourself FIRED!" Leorio shouted as he hung up the phone and read a newspaper.

I gave off a slight smirk that no one else could see.

I'm really glad to see Leorio. Back at his goofiness. I missed that.

But his message though.

I know something is up at 7pm. But what? What is going to happen?

I looked at the lobby clock. It's 6:57. That means something will happen in three minutes.

"Oh? There's the others" Shizuka said as she pointed at Paku and the others.

"OH! They got caught again!?" Nobunaga said in joy and ran towards Gon

"We didn't come here for you" Killua said

"Really? You didn't come back to join us?" Nobunaga asked

"No. We actually got caught following you again" Gon said

"It was you two!? Wow. I didn't realize that. See Boss. Don't you think these two would be a great addition to the group? They have similar personalities to Uvogin" Nobunaga said

"What? They're just kids. Of course they have these personalities" Machi said

"Even so, I would like them examined. Pakunoda, check them" Chrollo said

"With pleasure" Paku said as she walked up to them.

Crap! If she checked their memories now, then Kurapika's image will come into place.

I need to stop her now!

"No" I said as I walked in front of Killua and Gon.

This seemed to have shocked everyone.

I quickly looked at the clock and there was one minute left.

"Move out of the way Aoi" Paku said

"I'm sorry, but I won't let you look into their memories" I said.

I know I'm taking a big risk here. But I'm willing to risk myself then have something bad happen to Gon and Killua.

"What is going on Aoi?" Shizuka asked

"I've noticed she's been acting weird ever since we first encountered the kids" Machi said

"I know why" Paku said

She and I looked at each other.

"Aoi, I've been keeping this quiet the whole time. But now I have to ask you something. Is there something going on between you, these two kids and possibly the chain-user?" She asked

Before I could even answer, everything went dark. Pitch darkness

"What the!?" I could hear Nobunaga shout

"I can't see!" Shizuka said

I stood in my spot, not being able to see anything for these few seconds is a disadvantage. Is this the plan they had all along? To escape through darkness?

Just then, I heard a bone crack, Paku scream and someone kicking another person. I even felt something flew past my face and hit the pillar behind me.

"Got ya!" I heard Nobunaga said

"You're not going anywhere" I hear Machi say

After five seconds, the lights came back on.

I see Machi holding onto Killua and Nobunaga hanging Gon by his legs.

"You two must think you're slick. But you failed" Nobunaga said

Gon and Killua failed to escape.

 _Damn. What now?_ I thought to myself.

"Hey guys. Where's the Boss?" Shizuka said

"Hm?" Nobunaga said as he looked around.

We all looked around as well.

It was only me, Paku, Machi, Nobunaga and Kortopi in a circle. The missing person was Chrollo.

What on earth happened to this plan of theirs? Was it for Killua and Gon to escape? Or was it for Chrollo to go missing all along?

* * *

 **Author's note**

Hello fellow readers!

I just want to give ya'll a heads up that I'll be posting at least one or two more chapters before Thanksgiving break. I will be taking a break from Fanfiction from Thursday till Dec 1st. I will be spending the weekend with my friends, family and church for Thanksgiving. So I am very thankful and blessed to have all of you here as faithful readers. I do strongly encourage all of you to spend all this time you have with your loved ones as well. So with that, I'll be back within the following chapters when I'm taking my break!


	27. Phone Call

Everyone was silent.

We all tried to figure out what had happened.

There was a blackout for about five seconds.

Then Chrollo got kidnapped in the process.

Was this the plan the entire time? Kidnap Chrollo? Use Gon and Killua as decoys?

If so, I'm worried about Chrollo. I'm afraid that Kurapika might harm him. Or maybe even kill him.

"Aoi, what's that behind you?" Nobunaga asked

"Huh?"

I turned around, there was a knife stuck on the pillar. Was that the object that flew past my face during the blackout?

"Here Shizuka, hold this kid" Nobunaga said

He was holding Gon by the ankles and passed him to Shizuka.

Nobunaga then walked towards the pillar and grab the knife. It had a note attached to it.

"You okay Pakunoda?" Machi asked

"Yeah. Kid broke my left arm and then kicked my face" Paku said

Her arm was bent in opposite ways and blood was gushing out of her nose.

"I got kicked on the side. I could feel a few broken ribs. We underestimated them" Machi said

"That reminds me, Aoi, you still didn't answer my question." Paku said, looking at me.

I stared at her. How do I respond?

"What is your connection with the chain-user and these kids?" She asked

"I don't know what you're talking about" I said in a serious tone.

"Aoi, I know. Something is going on. Tell me" She said

"I can't say" I said

"I'm sorry Aoi. But I'm going to have to look into your memories" She said

She used her right arm and grabbed my face. I could feel her nen energy swarming around me. She was just about to gain access to my memories until Nobunaga said something.

"Wait Pakunoda. Let go of her" Nobunaga said

"Why?" She asked

"Look at this note" Nobunaga said as he handed her the note from the knife.

Paku had a shocked look on her face.

"Remain quiet Pakunoda. Not a word out of your mouth. Okay?" Nobunaga said

Paku nodded her head.

"Hm? What did the note say?" Shizuka asked

"It said that Pakunoda is not allowed to discuss about the two kids memories. She is also off limits from accessing Aoi's memories as well. If she breaks it, then Boss dies" He said

I looked at Killua and Gon. They both had a look of relief on their faces.

"Aoi, Pakunoda is right. I know you're hiding something. But I can press onto it. It'll mean risking Boss's life if we interrogate you." Machi said

"I want to know your connection as well" Nobunaga said. "But let's wait for the chain-user to contact us"

"Why the chain-user?" Shizuka asked

"Because, he's the one that gave us this note. He's the one that kidnapped Chrollo from us. It is most likely that he's going to contact us. We got his friends as hostages" He said, pointing at Killua and Gon.

"Aoi, I'm sorry, but as of right now, your suspicious to the rest of us" Machi said.

"I have no comment" I said.

Just then, Phinks, Shalnark and Feitan walked into the hotel and joined us.

"Explain" Phinks said

Nobunaga then explained everything that happened from the moment we got here until now. He even mentioned that I am a suspect to all of this as well.

"Oh? I knew something was up with Aoi when she protected those kids back at the hideout" Feitan said

"Let's not pinpoint any of this on Aoi yet" Shalnark said

I smirked a bit. I knew this guy would defend me.

"Even if Aoi does have a connection with all of them, It is most likely she doesn't even know the real identity of this chain-user" He said.

"Oh? But we do know." Nobunaga said

I looked at him. Did Paku take the memories of the person who was running away with the scarlet eyes?

"What's his name?" Phinks asked

"His name is Kurapika" Nobunaga said

My eyes widen. This group knows that Kurapika is the chain-user now.

I think my reaction caused Feitan to look at me. He ran behind me and pinned me to the wall.

"Feitan!" Shalnark shouted

"I just saw her facial expression. She knows something" Feitan said

"That doesn't mean you pin her to the wall!" Phinks shouted

"What the hell Feitan" I said, trying to break free.

I could see Killua and Gon having a worried expression on their faces as they tried not to call out my name.

"Oi. Aoi" Nobunaga said as he took out his sword and placed it towards my neck.

I could feel the tip of the sword digging in as a trickle of blood streamed down.

"Are you a traitor Aoi? Just like Hisoka? Did you see information about this group too?" He asked

"No I didn't! I didn't sell any information!" I said

"That reminds me" Machi said. "I don't think she ever read her predictions"

"Come to think of it, your right." Phinks said

"Where's your paper Aoi?" Nobunaga said, still having his sword pointed at me

"It's in my pocket" I said

"I'll get it" Shalnark said.

He reached into my pocket and picked up the little piece of paper. Then he read it out loud.

 _This petal is lost in the field_

 _She has one side, where she lives with the rest of the petals_

 _Yet, she is also in love with the bloody eyes._

 _She knows of his chains b_ _ut doesn't say a word_

 _She regrets everything and eventually leaves her flower_

 _For she will make her decision_

 _And bring the eyes back to her true love._

"In love with the bloody eyes?" Shalnark repeated after reading the poem.

He then looked at me. A feeling of hurt inside him. I guess he still had feelings for me deep inside.

"Knows of his chains but doesn't say a word?" Phinks repeated

"Does that mean you knew who he was all along Aoi?" Feitan said, squeezing my arm tightly

"Ouch! and I still won't say anything!" I said

"It all makes sense to me now" Machi said

Everyone looked at her.

"I should've realized it sooner. These are the two kids Aoi was with back at the Hunter's exam" She said

"How are you sure?" Phinks asked

"I didn't really get to see the group of people she was with during that time, because I disguised my vision back there" She said. "I did remember her being with four people. Two of them being these kids"

She looked at Killua and Gon to see a change in their facial expressions. Luckily, they continued to keep their poker faces.

"Then that means, the chain-user is one of the people you were with during the Hunter's exam then" Nobunaga said.

I remained silent.

I actually didn't think Machi remembered.

Technically, I forgot she was there in disguise during the exam.

"This just makes you even more suspicious Aoi. You were protecting them even though this guy killed Uvogin!" Nobunaga shouted

I didn't know what to do or say. I'm cornered. I tried my best to protect Kurapika's identity and the kids. I feel like I failed. I should've never came back here with Hisoka and Machi.

That prediction was right. I do regret coming back here.

Our commotions were interrupted with Phink's cellphone going off. He looked at it.

"A call from our Boss?" Phinks said. Then he answered the call. "Hello?"

We were all quiet, looking at Phinks as he's in his conversation.

"Paku, phone for you" He said.

Paku walked up to him and took the phone.

Then she walked away from us, probably to an isolated area.

"It was the chain guy on the phone" Phinks said

"What did he say?" Nobunaga asked

"He said to leave Aoi alone" Phinks said

With that, Feitan let go of me and Nobunaga put his sword away.

"What if I harm her a bit huh?" Feitan said.

I glared at him.

"The guy said that if we lay a finger on her, Boss would be killed" Phinks said.

"Tch. Whatever then. You're lucky to be alive Aoi" Feitan said as he leaned against the wall

I rubbed my arms and neck before walking towards the pillar. I looked at Killua and Gon and they were glaring at everyone the entire time.

Pakunoda came back after another minute and then handed the phone to Nobunaga.

It was his turn to listen to whatever Kurapika had to say on the phone.

Then, Nobunaga came up to me.

"Phone for you Aoi" He said

I looked at him, then the phone.

Kurapika is going to speak to me?

With my hands shaking, I grabbed the phone. I slowly held it against my ear.

"H-Hello?" I said

"Hello Aoi"

My heart was beating rapidly.

It was Kurapika's voice.

"You don't have to say anything right now. All I need is for you to respond to me with a 'yes' or 'no.' Got it?" He asked

"Yes"

It really is Kurapika. It's been a long time since we last spoke to each other. And things didn't end perfectly there.

"Are all members of the Spiders with you right now?"

"No"

"Are there some back in your hideout?"

"Yes"

"Is Killua and Gon still there?"

"Yes"

"Are they hurt?"

"No"

"Did they hurt you?"

"No"

"Did they figure something out about you?"

"Yes"

"Do you consider yourself in danger at this moment?"

"Yes...and no"

I didn't know how to say 'maybe' if all I could respond are 'yes' and 'no'.

"Is there at least one person who would kill you?"

"Yes"

It was silent on the other line. Kurapika didn't say anything for the next thirty seconds.

"Do you have trust in what I'm doing with the Phantom Troupe?"

Trust? Do I trust him?

I don't know.

He killed Uvo.

He kidnapped Chrollo.

I don't know if he's going to kill everyone else here.

But then, maybe he might've found a way to disband this group without having anyone else be killed.

"Yes" I said.

I'm willing to put my full trust in Kurapika.

"Good. Here are my instructions for you, I want you to go to Ringo airport. Take any type of transportation you need. You will meet someone there. They will give you instructions upon your arrival. If you're okay with this, respond" He said

"Yes" I said

"Before you leave, put the phone next to Killua" Kurapika said

With that, I walked next to Killua and placed the phone next to his ear as he started talking.

"Hello?" Killua started. "Yes...one of them mentioned that we were at the hunters exam with her...no she's not hurt...no, no information was said to them."

With that, Killua shaked his head, indicating to take the phone away.

"Hello?" I said, bringing the phone back to my ear

"I want you to give the phone to Pakunoda now. As soon as you give her the phone, I want you to make your way to the airport. Do not say a single word to anyone if they try to talk to you" Kurapika said

With that, I passed the phone to Paku.

After that, I turned around and started walking towards the hotel door.

"Aoi, where are you going?" Phinks asked

I ignored him.

 _Keep walking_

"Aoi!" Shalnark called out to me

 _Keep walking_

"Where do you think you're going?" Nobunaga said

 _Ignore them. Just go._

"Where is she going?" I heard Shizuka said

I walked out of the revolving doors and summoned out my viola. I played some notes and made myself a musical cloud.

As I traveled to Ringo airport, once question came into my mind.

 _How is this going to end?_

* * *

 **Author's Note**

Hello fellow readers!

I honestly thought I would have time to make one more chapter but due to the schedule I have today (11/25/2015) I won't be able to make another for you all before break. Sorry!

I hope I left this chapter for ya'll before the break without a super suspenseful cliffhanger.

On the side note, when I come back from the break, there is at least 3 (or less) more chapters before the end of this story.

I will let you all have your predictions on how this story is going to end :)

Until then, have a wonder Thanksgiving faithful readers and God bless!


	28. Questions and Answers

As I arrived at Ringo airport, I didn't know what to expect. I stood close to an empty airship as I waited for the person Kurapika mentioned earlier.

I thought back to the poem that stated my prediction.

 _This petal is lost in the field_

That probably meant me being confused on where I really belong.

 _She has one side, where she lives with the rest of the petals_

The Spiders, my family. The people I've been living with for the past couple of years.

 _Yet, she is also in love with the bloody eyes_

Kurapika, I love him, even though he was a threat to our group.

 _She knows of his chains, but doesn't say a word_

I concluded that Kurapika was the chain-user before anyone else found out. As to why I decided not to say a word, I guess it was because I was afraid that someone else might get killed. I guess that was a mistake because Chrollo has been captured now and I've been deemed suspicious amongst the Spiders now.

 _She regrets everything and eventually leaves her flower_

I don't know about that phrase. This prediction is telling me that I will end up officially leaving the group. Would it be true? I know that the others had their predictions told but we must've done something that changed it. Maybe I might not leave the Spiders. But I did regret doing all the wrong I've done in the past. I even regret leaving the group before because then I would've never met Kurapika and none of these feelings would've occurred.

 _For she makes her decision, and bring the eyes back to her true love_

The scarlet eyes, we have possession of them since we stole it from the auction. I do want to give them back to Kurapika. They belong to him since he's the only survivor from the Kuruta clan. I highly doubt someone like Feitan would not let me take it away. I really do want to bring the eyes back to Kurapika. It's the least I can do for all this hurt I've brought to him.

"Nice to see you again Aoi"

I recognize that voice. It was the music hunter's.

I turned around to see the same stocky, bald headed music hunter I clashed into back at the auction site from the computer room.

"It's you again" I said

"Yes" She said with a smile. "Kurapika sent me to speak to you"

"I see. What is your name?" I asked

"Melody the Music Hunter" She said with a polite bow

"What are your instructions for me Melody?"

"Let's start with going inside that airship" She said, pointing at the empty airship that was near me.

So we both walked in silently with me following her. I looked around the area. It was quiet, really quiet. As if no one else is here.

"Let us talk in here" Melody said as he opened the door to what seems like an interrogation room.

I walked in and took a seat while Melody sat opposite of me.

"What are we going to talk about?" I asked

"I've been instructed to ask you a series of questions. Some of them may be repetitive from the phone call you had with Kurapika" Melody answered

"Alright. I understand" I said, nodding my head.

"Did anyone from the Spiders harm you?" Melody asked

"Not really, I got pinned to the wall because the group finds me suspicious of conspiracy or something along that line. But I'm not hurt" I said

"Did your group know that you had a connection with Gon and Killua?"

"No they had no idea. Until Machi told them that she remembered Gon and Killua being with me during the Hunter's exam"

"Why did you become a Hunter?" She asked

I looked at her for a minute. Did I have a real reason for going to that exam?

"I honestly don't know. I really did it out of boredom. I had no valid answer. But, if I did take things serious about being a Hunter now, I guess I would be a Treasure Hunter because I love finding treasures. At the same time, I do enjoy playing music with my instruments" I said with a smile as I took out my flute.

I could see the corner of Melody's mouth curl up.

"Why did you join the Phantom Troupe?" She asked, looking at me in the eye

"Why did I join? I guess it's because, I originally had no family. They were the only supposed family I had. Some of them even watched over me when I was younger, making sure I don't do stupid things. I remember Chrollo coming up to me, I was alone in a city, shivering from the cold weather and he gave me that black, furry, upside down cross jacket of his. He took a look at me before asking me to join him and the group. I felt welcomed. I felt like they were a family. I felt like being with them helped me survive." I said, staring at the table in front.

"Did you enjoy killing?"

I looked at my hand. The spider tattoo with the number four. Staring at it made me think about the past.

"I did enjoy it at first. It was what we had to do to survive and get away with certain things. But something made me change"

"Like what? What happened that made you have a different opinion on killing people?" She asked

I looked around the room I was in. I couldn't tell if there is anyone watching or listening to our conversation in this room.

"That day, when we were sent out to kill the Kuruta clan to claim their scarlet eyes. I remember being on a killing spree until I came upon two kids. They were hugging, pleading me for mercy and to spare them. I really was about to kill them. But I couldn't" I said, tears starting to swell up in my eyes.

"Why not?" Melody asked, trying not to sound upset

"I've never killed children before. It was weird to me. I was unable to do anything because of the fact that their kids. One of them even called me 'Miss', which probably gave me the reason to not kill them. I guess that word stuck to me. And then Killua calls me that too so it makes me think about that time." I said

Tears started to stream down. Thinking about that time always makes me sad.

"I gave those kids a chance to run away. I was hoping that they wouldn't get caught. It was too late though. Pakunoda saw then, and shot them. All I did was just to stand there and stare. I was actually devastated that this had happened to two kids. It was until then that I decided to take a break from the Spiders and move on to see what I can do without any killing." I said, starting to smile.

"What's with the smile now?" Melody asked

"That's because I got to meet Kurapika and the others" I said. "I got along really well with them. I guess you can say, I was happy to be with them. I never expected to feel so comfortable around them. I also rarely smile like this. If anything, I feel like I can definitely become a better person by being with them."

"Would you want to be with them again?"

"Yes I do. I think I would be a lot happier if I was with them" I said, giving a slight frown. "But I'm not even sure if I would be able to come back. I know Gon and Killua told me they want me back. But I highly doubt Kurapika would let me be with him after knowing the truth about me."

"Well, what if I told you that Kurapika is doing all of this for you" Melody said

I put my head up and looked at her in confusion.

"What do you mean? How is he doing this for me? I thought this is for his revenge" I asked

"Technically it is. But despite Kurapika wanting to take his revenge on his fallen clan memebers, he did mention that his top priority was to bring you back to the group as well" Melody said

Tears streamed down my face again. Kurapika wants me back to the group? That made me really happy to hear.

All this time, I thought Kurapika hated me. I thought he would kill all of us, one by one. I thought I would be alone.

"She regrets everything and eventually leaves her flower" I whispered to myself

"Hm? What was that sentence you just said?" Melody asked

"That sentence, was written as my prediction. I do regret everything that has ever happened. In terms of leaving my 'flower', I'm not sure if I'm ready to officially leave them yet. But know this, for Kurapika and the other's sake, I will come back to them" I said, giving a determined smile.

"I have a two more questions to ask" Melody said

"No problem. Ask away" I said, folding my hands on the table.

"Do you have trust in Kurapika in his plans with the group?" She asked

"Yeah. I have full trust in him." I said

"Final question. Do you love Kurapika?"

This question made my heart race. Loving Kurapika is what got me into this whole mess in the first place. Not seeing him these past seven months was a bit hard for me. I deeply miss his kindness and words of assurance from the Hunter's exam. I missed that warm smile he always gave towards me. I miss the warmth of his hand also.

"I do. I love Kurapika. No matter how much it hurts me that I hurt him, I still love him. Which is why, like my prediction said, I never mentioned him being the chain-user that everyone was looking for. I guess I protected him from Nobunaga's rage because I love him. So yes Melody, I love Kurapika." I said with a smile while looking at the tattoo on my hand.

"Your heartbeat is very calming even though you went through a lot. I respect you" Melody said as she bowed her head. "The reason why I was put here to ask you these questions, were to see if you were lying about anything"

"So you were basically a lie detector?" I asked

"Yeah" She nodded her head. "I have very good hearing, so with your heatbeat, I can detect whether or not you're lying."

"I see. Looks like we do have few things in common. Maybe I'll become a Music Hunter instead" I said, jokingly

Melody chuckled and smiled towards me.

"Do you want to know my reason for becoming a Music Hunter?"

"I actually do."

"I'm looking for this musical sheet called the 'Sonata of Darkness', it is a very dangerous sheet to play. Especially for the flute. Playing this particular song can kill you. Unfortunately for me, my friend actually played this song and it killed him. I for one, got transformed into looking like this because I listened to the song. That is how I got the ability to listen really well" Melody explained.

"That's very sad to hear. Is that why you chose to be one of the bodyguards? To find that sheet music?" I asked

"Indeed. And, I was hoping to ask you if you have seen that since your group stole the treasures" Melody asked

"Unfortunately, I did not see such an item at the auction. If I did see it, I think I would've played it without knowing the consequences. So sorry I can't be much help but I do thank you for giving me this information" I said with a smile.

"It's okay. There are always other auctions to find this sheet music" She said

"So what now Melody? I can tell that this airship is still flying around" I said

"Yes, You have to come with me for one more thing" She said. "But this requires you seeing Kurapika"

"Oh.." I said quietly

See Kurapika huh? That is going to be a bit nerve wrecking for me. I don't even know if I'll be able to act normal around him.

"Ready to move?" Melody asked

"Yeah, I am" I said

Melody opened the door and we walked out.

I don't know what else Kurapika has in plan, but I do have trust in him. So I hope nothing goes wrong in the end, because I know that all of this is going to end really soon.


	29. Conditions

Melody and I walked down a long hallway inside the airship. I could feel my hands getting all sweaty from the nervousness. I'm actually going to see Kurapika after all this time.

"Your heart is beating rapidly. Are you scared to see him?" Melody asked

"N-Not really...I'm just..." I trailed off

"It's okay. I can sense that he is nervous to see you as well" She said

"How are you so sure?" I asked

"His heart is beating the same pace as yours" She said, smiling at me

"So he's just as nervous as I am?" I asked

"Yup"

I guess we're both nervous to see each other. It's been so long since we saw each other face to face.

I really do wonder how much he's changed since the Hunter's exam. Based on what everybody says about him being the chain-user and all, it seems he has definitely gotten stronger. Especially with his manipulation nen.

I do wonder if I'll see that gentle smile he always gave me back then. I miss seeing that the most.

After a couple more seconds of walking, we finally reached to the end of the hallway. I could see two figures at the distance. One figure was Chrollo and the other was Kurapika.

I gasped at the sight of Chrollo, his face was bruised badly and he is currently tied up in chains. Most likely Kurapika's chains.

"Chrollo!" I called out

His mouth was covered up by chains but I could tell he was giving me a warm smile.

Even though Chrollo never really shows it, but he always makes sure I don't get too worried when things involves him. I hope he's alright after looking at his injuries.

I shifted my gaze to Kurapika's. They weren't scarlet, just that plain blue/green eyes I loved to see back then.

"Hello Aoi" Kurapika said

My heart felt like it's going to explode. He's right there, holding my Boss hostage.

I wanted to run up to him and hug him.

I wanted to constantly tell him how sorry I am about the past.

I wanted to ask him for forgiveness.

"H-Hello Kurapika..." I said quietly, still fixed on his eyes.

"I'm really glad to know that you're safe" He said, with a faint smile.

The smile that I missed. It wasn't a gentle one but it was still a smile coming from the corner of his lips.

"Same for you. I'm glad that you and the others are well, even though Gon and Killua are currently with everyone else" I said, looking out the window.

"Don't worry about that, we're going to arrange something for them to be back here safely" Kurapika said

"Like what?" I asked

"See for yourself" Kurapika said as he looked past me as if someone was walking towards us

I turned around and I see Pakunoda standing at a short distance from us.

"Paku?..." I whispered to myself

What is she doing here?

"Stand next to me Aoi" Kurapika said

Without hesitation, I followed Kurapika's order and stood next to him. I'm confused. What's happening right now?

"Just to be safe, you're Pakunoda of the Phantom Troupe right?" Kurapika asked

"Yes I am" Paku answered

"Aoi? Is this really Pakunoda?" Kurapika asked, looking at me.

His gaze was making my heart beat fast again.

"Y-Yes. This is Pakunoda" I said, looking away from his gaze.

"She's telling the truth" Melody said, looking at Kurapika

"I will assign rules for the two of you" Kurapika said, speaking to Paku and Chrollo. "Respect them and your Boss will be released"

Paku nodded her head

"Let's start with your boss" Kurapika said as he took out his chain.

"First, your forbidden to use nen, second, you must cut all communications with other members of the Phantom Troupe. Last, I want you to release Aoi membership of the Spiders."

My eyes widened at Kurapika's last request. Release me as a member of the Spiders? That's ridiculous. They're my family. I wouldn't want to leave that for good.

"But-" I started to talk but I was cut off

"No 'but' Aoi. It's the only way" Kurapika said

I kept my mouth shut. I guess this is his plan on bringing me back to the group.

"If you agree to these terms for your Boss, respond" Kurapika said, looking at Paku

She stared at Chrollo for while then proceeded to stare at me. She looked as if she wasn't sure if she's about to make the right decision.

"I agree" She said

"Good. I shall use my judgement chain on him. It only takes effect if you break the rules. If a rule is broken, then the chain will pierce your heart and you'll die" Kurapika said as he used his chain and installed one inside Chrollo's heart.

 _Could this be the weapon that killed Uvogin? If so, what rule did he break that got him killed?_

"As for you Pakunoda, first I want you to bring Gon and Killua back here before midnight. Second, I forbid you from sharing any information about me to the rest of the members. If you agree to this, I shall put the judgement chain inside you as well" Kurapika said

"I agree" Paku answered

With that, Kurapika used his chain and injected something insider her heart also.

"Now, I want you and Aoi to go back to your comrades and bring Gon and Killua back here before midnight. I want you back here alone. As for Aoi..." Kurapika turned to me. "You can come to us when you decided to. I've already freed you from this group. You can do whatever you want now"

I wanted to cry. I'm seriously not going to be a member of the Spiders anymore? I know I left last time but this time, it's the real deal. I'm officially no longer the number 4.

I looked at Chrollo, he nodded his head. I took that as his way of telling me that it's okay.

"I understand, take us back to the airport" Paku said as she turned her back towards us.

The airship landed at the airport as Paku and I made our way towards the exit.

I turned back to look at Chrollo once again. I had this strange feeling that this will be my last time seeing him.

"Let's go Aoi" Paku said

I took out my viola and made a musical cloud once again. Paku and I hoped on as we traveled back to Junkyard city.

* * *

We were both silent. No words to say, no questions to ask. Or at least I think so.

I wonder if Paku is mad at me. But I knew that she was hiding something too ever since we had our first encounter with Killua and Gon the other day.

"Since it's just you and me Aoi, and you're not longer a member, let me ask you this" Paku said

"What is it?" I asked

"Your connection with them. Machi said that you were with them as a group during the Hunter's exam. Is that true?" She asked

"Yes. I was with them the entire time" I said

"I saw you in that white haired kid's memory. He had many positive memories about you" She said

"What? Really?" I asked

"Yeah. It made me suspicious of why he and the other kid were stalking us. I thought you were selling information about us as well. Just like Hisoka" She said, looking at me.

"Oh no. I would never sell information about us. You know that Paku" I said, frowning upon her comment.

"I know. I'm sorry." She said. "But now that means you did have a connection with Kurapika. I'm surprised you kept his identity a secret from us even though he killed Uvogin"

"Sorry. But I didn't figure out who the chain-user was until I saw Gon and Killua. I didn't want to say anything because I know for sure Nobunaga will kill him and I don't want that to happen at all" I said, lowering my head.

I feel guilty for not saying anything. The others will probably think I've betrayed them or something.

"I could tell you're in love with him Aoi"

I lifted my head up and looked at Paku in surprise.

"What?" I asked

"Your prediction. It clearly says that you're in love with him. If you didn't love him, you would've told us that Kurapika was the one we're looking for. But you didn't. You chose to stay silent. That already tells me that you were possibly thinking about leaving us again." She said

I was shocked. I didn't expect Paku to guess this fact about me. Well, she is a smart woman after all.

I'm not even sure if I did had the thought of leaving the Spiders again. I do remember wanting to steal back the scarlet eyes and bring it to Kurapika.

"What are you going to do now? Kurapika has freed you from being a member of our group." Pakunoda asked

"I don't really know." I said

"I see. It's your decision. Do whatever you want" Paku said

I know it's my decision. But I don't know what my real decision is. It could be whatever the prediction said or maybe fate has changed since no one else died this week.

"I guess all I can say is, I'm letting fate decide for me" I said

"What do you mean by that?" Paku asked

"I'll wait for God or whatever give me a sign of what to do. I still want to stay with everyone here. You guys are like family to me." I said.

"I know Aoi. You're really important to us. You know that. Especially to Chrollo" She said

"But that means we won't be able to see Chrollo because he has the judgement chain inside him. What will happen to him? What will happen to the rest of us?" I asked

"I don't really know. We'll see after I bring those kids back to Kurapika. Don't worry about it Aoi. Everything will be fine" Paku said

She patted my head and hugged me. She may be mad at me, but I know deep down, she still loves me as family.

"Let's go and explain the conditions to everyone. I know Nobunaga will most likely not like this" Paku said

"Okay" I said, nodding my head.

We arrived outside our hideout. I put my Viola away as Pakunoda and I headed inside.

Things might get heated up in there.

I just hope things won't end badly.

* * *

~Author's Note~

Hey fellow readers!

I'm so sorry I haven't been able to update the chapters on a daily basis. Things has been extra busy at work so I haven't had the time to work on my stories. I deeply apologize! These chapters will come whenever I have a free time. Please be patient with me! This story is ALMOST done so most likely it will be completed over the weekend. Once again, sorry for bringing you guys a chapter so late! I'm doing the best I can! Keep being awesome readers!

~RiN


	30. Disagreements

"Who the hell does he think he is with those conditions!?" Pinks shouted

Pakunoda just explained to everyone about Kurapika's conditions and they didn't look too happy.

"Just tell us where he is Pakunoda, I'll go kill him right there" Feitan said

I glared at Feitan. I am not going to let anything like that happen.

"Over my dead body" I said towards Feitan

"Hmph. Who cares" he retorted

"You sure you want to do that? You're going to deal with me if you harm Aoi" Machi said

"Just tell us already Pakunoda, we'll get rid of him and his stupid conditions" Nobunaga said

Pakunoda was right, there is a bit of tension in the air.

"I'm not saying anything, I'm just here to take these kids with me and I'm going back alone. So don't bother following me." Paku said

"Are you kidding me!? We're standing here like sitting ducks just waiting for the Boss to return to us! I refuse to follow any of that bastards condition!" Phinks shouted, obviously refusing to follow along.

"Just go Pakunoda. I'll take care if this." Machi said

"Just what do you mean 'take care of this'? That's a joke. I can easily take you out" Fetian said, threatening Machi.

"Don't you dare threaten Machi, Feitan." I said

It was Nobunaga, Phinks and Feitan standing on one side while Pakunoda, Machinand I on the other.

I could feel our Nen energy flowing around as tension continued to rise in the air. Soon, my side was joined by Kortopi, initiating that he is on our side with this condition.

"Well, well. How interesting." Hisoka said, grinning at this situation, like the clown he is.

Everyone else who weren't a part of this just stood there and watched. Some sighed and some just stayed silent.

"Are we really going to start this? It's going to piss me off" Nobunaga said

"I feel like I don't even know the two of you anymore. Why do you even bother listening to that bastard of a chain user" Phinks said

"I think they've been manipulated by his Nen, he is a manipulation user after all." Feitan said.

He turned his gaze towards Gon and Killua.

"How about we just make these kids talk and then kill them?" He said

"You lay a finger in them and I will kill you Feitan" I said angrily while walking in front of the kids to protect them.

"I don't need to care about you anymore Aoi. You're no longer a member of the Phantom Troupe, so that means I won't get in trouble from the Boss if I kill you" he said, grinning under that turtle neck uniform of his.

As more glares came around and the tension rising massively, all of our angry thoughts were interrupted by Gons voice.

"You're the ones that don't understand" Gon said

He was talking to Phinks, Nobunaga and Feitan.

"Tch, what are you talking about kid" Nobunaga said

"Don't you understand why Pakunoda can't say anything or why Machi and Aoi are defending her? It's to save your boss!" Gon shouted

I looked at Gon. Even though him and Killua are captured here, he did helping us knock some sense to them.

I smiled towards him. Such a helpful kid.

"Why is it hard for you to understand that they are doing this to save the most important companion to you? They're willing to do anything to bring your Boss back!" He screamed.

"Shut up kid. No one asks for your opinion. I bet you're just saying this as a ticket way out of here" Phinks said

"I have no intentions of doing that! Take back what you said!" Gon said

He ended up breaking the nen strings Machi had that was tied to him.

Feitan stepped forward as if he was going to do something but I moved in front of Gon to protect him.

"What is wrong with you guys!? The main focus right now is getting Chrollo back to us! So all of this tension we have need to stop right now!" I shouted

"Aoi is right. Kurapika is not going to do anything! Pakunoda met him already and she understood the kind of person he is and the conditions that were given. All she has to do is respect the conditions and then your boss is freed. Thats it" Gon said

Phinks glared at Gon and started to crack his knuckles.

"Shut it kid. Like I said, we didn't ask for your opinion. We can do whatever we want" Phinks said

"Even if it means I have to slice your head off kid" Nobunaga said, drawing his sword out, ready to fight.

"Stop it everyone" Franklin said as we all looked at him

"Franklin?" I said, looking at him

"Let Pakunoda go. All she has to do is bring these kids back and the Boss will be freed right? Its not a difficult task" Franklin said

"What? You're on their side too?" Feitan asked

"I'm not on anyones side. I just want whats right for Boss to come back to." Franklin said. "Shalnark, explain to us what the worst case scenario may be"

Shalnark looked at all of us before clearing his throat.

"Well.." he started. "What could happen would be Boss being dead already and Aoi, Machi, Pakunoda and Hisoka being manipulated by Kurapika, the chain user. That way, we'll never be able to find this guys then"

"You're wrong" Franklin said, which surprised Shalnark

"How would I be wrong?" Shalnark asked

"The worst case scenario would be us not following those conditions and we die one by one with the exception of Aoi. If all of us do end up dead, then this group, the Phantom Troupe would stop existing." Franklin said

I looked at him. He is right. This is what the worst case scenario may be.

"Oh. I can see what you mean. This group will take a big effect if Boss never returns to us" Shalnark said

"If Chrollo don't come back to us, then what do we do?" Nobunaga asked

"Then we kill off anyone of us being manipulated by the chain user and form new Spider members. That's it. Shouldn't be this complicated" Franklin said

"Fine by me. Just giving you a heads up that I am not being manipulated and I refuse to let anyone take my own life as well." Machi said, having her nen strings ready to fight.

"So, can we please let Pakunoda go?" I asked

"Tch. Whatever. Just go" Phinks said

"Really?" I said, a smile forming.

I feel relieved we won't have to fight now.

"No! I'm not okay with this!" Nobunaga shouted. "I refuse to let her take them away. I still want my revenge for Uvogins death!"

"Don't do anything Nobunaga!" I shouted

"No promises Aoi. I am not letting some punk manipulate all of us like this! I say we follow Pakunoda and the kids so that we can kill this guy!" He screamed

"Do not harm anyone!" I yelled. "I refuse to let you harm Kurapika!"

"Aoi.." Shalnark said quietly

"I don't care about your connection with the chain user Aoi. He took my best friends life and I will do anything to get my revenge!" Nobunaga said.

He walked towards Pakunoda and stood infront of her.

"Take me to him. Now." Nobunaga demanded

Paku just stood there and stare at him. Not saying a word.

"What? Not going to talk to me now? Don't make me fight you." Nobunaga said

He took out his sword and held it in the air to intimidate Paku. Too bad it didn't work.

I took out my flute and was about to knock his head until Shizuku went behind Nobunaga and hit his head. Doing so made him unconscious.

"Sorry but I do not like acts of violence against other members" Shizuku said

Bonolenov grabbed Nobunaga's ankles and dragged him away from us.

"Thank you Shizuku" Pakunoda said

With that, she grabbed Gon and Killua and left the hideout with them.

I sighed in relief as everyone sat at their spots in annoyance or in silence. I know this whole thing caused us to be in major disagreements but I'm glad Gon and Killua gets to leave here with Paku safely.

I looked at Hisoka and he motioned me to go to him. So I walked towards him as everyone looked at me.

I have to be cautious now. Especially if someone like Feitan is ready to kill me at any opportunity now.

"What do you want Hisoka?" I asked, standing next to him.

"Just want to say goodbye to you" He said with a smirk

"What do you mean 'goodbye'? I asked"

"Want to know the real reason to why I joined this group? Or perhaps I should say fake joined?" Hisoka said

I looked at him in confusion. What on earth is this joker talking about?

"Fake joined? You mean, you're never a member to us or something?" I asked

"Hmm" He mumbled. "Something like that"

"Explain to me your reason for being here" I said

"Well, I originally came here to fight your Boss" He said, shuffling his deck of cards

"Fight Chrollo? Why do you want to fight him?" I asked

"I'm just looking for strong opponents to fight. That is all. Chrollo is one of them. I guess right now is a good time for me to leave"

"Why leave now?"

"I have no use being here anymore if he's not here."

Hisoka got up and looked around the area.

"This is my goodbye to you Aoi" He said

He flipped through his deck and took out a joker card and handed it to me.

"What's this for?" I asked

"As a way to remember me" He said with that smile of his. "I sure don't want to forget that cute smile of yours"

"Oh gosh." I sighed. "Well, I guess it really was nice meeting you Hisoka. And I guess, I can say thank you for being an acquantinence and helped out. Even though it was only for your boredom"

He walked up to me and pinched my cheeks.

"Now if you excuse me, I have real business to take care of. Have fun with your boyfriend"

Hisoka let go of my cheeks and started to walk out of the area until Bonolenov stopped him.

"Where do you think you're going Hisoka?" Bono asked

"I'm leaving" He said

"What? Leaving!? We have a stupid condition that no one can leave this area!" Phinks shouted

"Oh? But that only goes for Spider members" Hisoka said with a smirk

"What are you talking about?" Shalnark said

Hisoka removed his shirt to show the number 4 spider tattoo on his back. Then he removed what seemed like a fake skin attached to his back and the tattoo was gone. It just showed his bare back. This clearly showed everyone that his tattoo was fake the entire time.

"What's the meaning of this?" Franklin asked

"I never really joined. I was only here to seek your Boss. Now that he's captured. I have no use being here" Hisoka said

"So you are a traitor. I kenw you were trouble" Feitan said

Hisoka gave one of those creepy laughs of his.

"Oh well. Too bad. Ta-ta" Hisoka said

With that, a small amount of smoke surrounded Hisoka and he disappeared from there.

I looked at the joker card that was given to me. Meeting Hisoka helped me understand what I really want.

Between the Spiders and Kurapika, I really want to be with Kurapika. No doubt about it. Yet, I still don't want to leave everyone.

"Was he ever a member here then?" Shizuku asked

"I don't know anymore" Phinks said

"Well, I guess all we can do is wait" Machi said

Everyone was silent for the next hour. We all eagerly anticipate for Paku and Chrollo's return. I really do hope they arrive back here safely.

Just then, my cellphone started ringing and all eyes were towards me. I looked at my phone for the caller ID and it was Paku.

"Hello? Paku?" I said, answering the phone call

"Tell everyone that the Boss has been released" She said.

"Paku said Chrollo has been released" I said to everyone, repeating her message to everyone.

"I'm coming back" She said

"Are you coming back with Chrollo?" I asked

"I'll explain about that later" She said

"What? What do you mean by that?"

"Like I said, it will be explained when I get back"

With that, Paku hung up the phone on me and I put my cellphone away.

"Was that Pakunoda?" Nobunaga said

He had waken up not too long ago and Feitan explained what had happened to him.

"Yes. Paku said that she'll explain everything to us when she gets back" I said

"I hope Boss is safe and sound" Phinks said

"Whatever it is, I'm sure his safe return will make all of us stop having this tension" Machi said.

"Let's not say a single word until Pakunoda returns" Franklin said

We all nodded and wait.

Another hour passed by in silence and Pakunoda returned to us.

But she returned to us by herself. There was no sign of Chrollo anywhere.

The only unusual thing I see from Paku is her gun on her hand.

"Paku? Where is Chrollo?" I asked

"He's not coming back" She said

That sentence made some of us gasp.

"Not coming back?" I repeated

Why is he not coming back? Did something happen between the agreements made earlier? Where is Chrollo now?


	31. Farewell, Goodbye

"Paku, Where is Chrollo?" I asked

She was silent for a moment and finally responded, "He's not coming back"

We all gasped in shock

"Not coming back?" I repeated.

"Yes" Paku answered

"Why not? Where is the boss?" Phinks asked

"He can't come back" Paku said, looking at the ground

I looked at Pakus' right hand and noticed her gun.

 _Does she plan on using it!?_

"Oi, you're being a pain in the ass. Are you going to explain to us what the hell happened there?" Nobunaga asked, impatient.

Without any hesitation, Paku lifted her arm and started loading her gun.

I stood there, frozen in my spot. Thoughts started swimming through my mind.j

 _She plans on sharing the information._

 _She's going to pick 6 of us to share it with._

 _She has that judgement chain Kurapika implanted inside her._

 _If she uses her nen, she's going to die._

 _She's going to die..._

 _She is WILLING to die..._

 _She's going to share everything and sacrifice herself..._

 _I have to stop her before it's too late._

"Do you trust me enough to know what I'm about to send you?" Paku asked

I shook my head back into reality. I looked at Paku and see her pointing her gun towards us.

"W-what?" I said, confused

"Machi, Nobunaga, Phinks, Feitan, Franklin, Shalnark. Do you trust me enough to know what I'm about to send you?" Paku asked again.

"Don't!" Phinks shouted. "You're being manipulated by him!"

Paku smirked and looked at me.

"Aoi, do you trust me to do this?" She asked once more.

I met her gaze and studied her face. She's being serious about this. She is seriously choosing death in order to send us this information.

"You will die Paku..." I finally said, tears starting to form in my eyes.

"It's okay kid" Paku reassured me with a smile.

"Come on, it's Paku. Let's trust her" Nobunaga said before anyone else could argue with Paku's use of the gun.

With that, Paku clicked the gun and shot her 6 bullets to my friends.

All I could do was stand there and watch Paku's face go pale and see her eyes go blank. She collapsed, face planted to the ground.

"Paku!" I screamed and ran to her side.

I turned her body over and checked her pulse.

There was no beat. No breathe. No sign of life. Her body was already getting cold. All there's left from Paku is a smile on her face.

"She's dead" Shizuku said.

Tears finally streamed down my face.

I didn't want anyone else to die. First Uvogin and now Pakunoda.

"Why Paku...why..." I whispered to myself softly.

Everyone else regained their posture after the bullets and looked towards Paku's body.

"I finally understand" Phinks said.

"Sorry Paku" Nobunaga said in apology.

"What do you understand Phinks?" Shizuku asked.

"I'll explain..." Phinks replied.

He re-explained everything in more details that Paku and I experienced earlier when we had our conditions with Kurapika. Then he started explaining what happened after Paku left with Gon and Killua, in which it was new information to me.

"She brought those kids back to the chain user. He let the boss go as promised but he's left somewhere on the desert" Phinks said, looking pissed

"Can we go to him?" Shizuku asked

"No, we can't" Nobunaga answered, annoyed.

"He has that judgement chain on him. That stupid chain user threatened that we are not to look for Chrollo" Phinks responded

"What now?" I asked

"We do nothing" Franklin answered

"Nothing?" I asked in confusion

"There's nothing we can do" Nobunaga responded. "The boss is ordered to not return to us. If we try to save him or if he does something, then that chain will kill him."

"Just like how Paku died" Phinks added. "That's why I fully understand what Paku was showing us"

"What about the fate of the chain user?" Feitan asked.

I looked at everyone's face with a worried look. Do they still plan on hunting down Kurapika?

Nobunaga looked at me and then looked at Phinks.

"Phinks?" He started "You got any bright ideas?"

Phinks was silent for a bit.

It felt like ages before he could respond.

"Like we said earlier, we do nothing."

"Does that mean...you're not going to hurt or kill Kurapika?" I asked, hiding the tone of relief.

"Seems like it" Machi answered. "We won't hunt down your boyfriend anymore"

"Eh?" I looked at Machi, blinking vigorously.

"First off, let's bury Paku in peace" Franklin said "Then we'll talk about the outcome of this group"

With that, we carried Paku away and buried her among the other graves we had over the years outside of our hideout.

I sat in front of Paku's grave and said my prayer and thanks.

"Thank you for everything Paku. I'm sorry this happened to you. I wish there could've been another way so you'd still be alive"

* * *

"So, what's going to happen with this group now?" Shalnark asked, breaking the silence

Franklin looked at each of our faces and then laid eyes on me.

"Aoi" he said

"Y-Yes?" I responded, a bit startled.

"From seeing Paku's memory, you have officially been released as a member of the Spiders. You no longer belong here" Franklin said straightforward.

I looked at him in shock.

 _He is right. I no longer belong here._

 _Kurapika did get me out of this group._

 _I am free..._

"I know" That was all I could say.

Franklin nodded his head and continued.

"We basically have no reason to continue being here. Chrollo is unable to come back to us with that chain. We have no reason to kill that chain user based on Chrollo's condition."

"Does that mean some of us can go home?" Machi asked

"Hm...I forgot about home" Shizuku said, putting her finger to her chin

"I guess home isn't a bad idea" Shalnark added with a slight sigh.

"Home..." I whispered, looking at everyone.

 _'This isn't my home anymore'_ I thought sadly _'Where I truly belong, is with my new gang of friends, and Kurapika'_

"Well, this is annoying" Nobunaga said.

"I'm staying here. Still got some things in mind with this auction" Phinks said

"I'll stay too" Feitan said, standing next to Phinks.

"I as well" Franklin added.

Benelenov and Kortopi nodded in agreement, indicating that they want to stay with the rest meanwhile the others agree to go home.

"Well, I guess this is our goodbye, for now" Machi said

"Yeah. We will find a way to bring our boss back" Phinks said with determination

I remained quiet and spaced out.

This is really happening, we really are departing.

"I..." I started but trailed off. "I...want to say goodbye"

Everyone got quiet and looked at me.

"Are you going to that chain guy?" Nobunaga asked

I shifted my gaze towards Nobunaga and answered without any hesitation.

"Yes. I will"

Shalnark looked disappointed but changed his expression to a smile.

"You must really like him huh? That Kurapika guy?" He asked

"I do. Sorry Shal" I said with a weak smile.

"It's okay. I'm just happy to have spent these last few years with you at a Phantom Troupe member" He said with a smile.

"I hope you'll be happy with those kids" Machi said as she patted my back.

I nodded my head and smiled. Happy to know they are okay with this.

"As much as I know my hatred for that chain user, I have no reason to kill him" Phinks said in defeat

"Hmph, I have no comment. Just do whatever you want Aoi" Feitan said and walked away.

"Goodbye Aoi" Franklin said as he bowed towards me.

I bowed back and looked at Kortopi.

"I do have one request before I leave. Can I please have the scarlet eyes?"

It was a daring question to ask. Those eyes are a treasure. The real money maker.

"What a bold move Aoi" Nobunaga said, impressed that I was daring enough to ask this.

Kortopi grabbed the jar that contained the Scarlet eyes and looked at Franklin.

"Take it" said Franklin "This is something the Boss would never do but I do respect your wishes"

My smile widened. I'm so happy that I could bring it to Kurapika.

"Thank you. Thank you very much" I bowed

"I'm going to miss you kid" Nobunaga said as he lightly punched my cheek.

"Me too Nobunaga" I said and gave him a tight hug.

"If that guy mistreats you, he won't be forgiven" Machi said with her serious look.

I chuckled and hugged her. "Don't worry, nothing bad will happen"

"Well, this is goodbye Aoi" Shalnark said as he held his arms out.

I hugged him and kissed his cheek.

"Thanks for everything Shal" I said

I said my goodbye to everyone else and grabbed the jar.

"Farewell everyone. I am happy to consider you all my friends and family" I said, waving my arm and leaving the vicinity.

 _Alright! Time to make amends with the gang, especially with Kurapika._

"But, where should I start? I have no clue where they are" I asked myself with a pout.

About a day went by since Paku's passing till now.

I made my way around a nearby playground within the auction area in York Shin City and took out my phone.

I set the jar down, sat on one of the swings and flipped through my call logs.

I remember missing an unknown phone call back at the auction site a few days ago.

I re-read the text message from that unknown caller as well: **I'm happy you're alive Aoi.**

"That's it!" I shrieked.

The missed call! I can just call back that unknown caller! It will be one of the guys!

I quickly hit that 'call back' button and held the phone next to my ear.

My heart was beating rapidly as the phone started ringing.

Whose the one on the other end of the line?

Gon?

Killua?

Leorio?

Kurapika?

 _ring..._

 _ring..._

 _ring..._

"Hello?" said the person on the other line.

* * *

 ***Author's Note***

 _ **Hello readers!**_

 _ **I am so sorry for the huge hiatus. Disappeared for a good year!**_

 _ **No worries, I have finally come back! I didn't forget about this!**_

 _ **I went through a lot of tough times so I needed some personal time to get things straight. I do have details in my personal blog on Wordpress [ ]**_

 _ **I know you all have been waiting and requesting for the next to chapter to come out and it finally has!**_

 ** _We have just about 2 more chapters to go and this story will finally be over!_**

 ** _Once again, thank you everyone for being awesome with encouraging words and still showing love._**

 ** _Sorry if you think things are getting cheesy in the plot. It's a fanfiction for a reason._**

 ** _~Rin_**


	32. Leorio

_Ring..._

 _Ring..._

 _Ring..._

"Hello?" Said the person on the other end of the line.

I smiled.

 _"It's nice to finally hear your voice"_ I said, still smiling. _"Leorio."_

 _"Heh."_ I can hear Leorio chuckle. _"Same to you Aoi."_

 _"I'm not even surprised at the fact that it was you who called."_ I said.

 _"At least I know you're alive and well. Did anyone hurt you though?"_ He asked.

 _"No."_ I said, shaking my head. _"I"m fine."_

 _"Good"_ Leorio said as I could hear him sigh on the other line. _"Where are you right now?"_

 _"I'm just chilling around the playground near the auction site."_ I said as I paused. " _I said my goodbye's. I left my home Leorio. I'm ready to come back to you guys."_

We were both silent for a good minute.

I am finally ready to go back to my group of friends. I'm ready to see Kurapika.

 _"I've been waiting for you to say that Aoi."_ Leorio finally spoke. _"Wait there. I'm coming to you."_

With that, he hung up the phone as I did the same.

I placed my phone in my pocket and picked up the jar of scarlet eyes.

 _I'm going to give this back to you Kurapika. Please accept this and forgive me._

* * *

I was sitting at a bench and continued to look out for Leorio. I has been over an hour since my phone call with him.

It's been almost 7 months since I've seen Leorio.

Well despite that whole scene back at the hotel when Chrollo got kidnapped. I didn't get a chance to actually speak to Leorio.

Last time we had an actual conversation was during the final match of the Hunter's exam.

It was right after Hisoka killed Bodoro. That poor guy.

 _I still feel bad about that._

I remember Leorio being there and comforted me. He really helped me calm down after that whole mess.

 _What a friend..._

"Yo." said a familiar voice.

I blinked my eyes a couple of times and looked to my left.

Leorio was standing right next to me. Looking down at me.

"Leorio!" I shouted his name.

I hopped off the bench and gave him a huge bear hug.

"Woah. Take it easy kid." He said, caught by surprise from my hug.

"I'm sorry. It's just..." I started tearing up. "I'm really glad to see you Leorio."

Some tears streamed down my face. They were tears of joy.

"Hey now." Leorio said as he patted my head. "I"m glad to see you too Aoi."

We both sat back on the bench as I wiped the tears off my face.

"What did you do these past couple months? Like, before coming to York Shin City." I asked.

"I was studying." He said with a smirk.

"Eh? Studying?" I questioned.

"Yup. I studied for my official medical license." He said.

"Wow. Did you pass?" I asked, anxiously.

"Of course I did." He said with the most cheesiest smile ever.

"Awesome!" I shouted as I lightly punched his arm. "You're now an official licensed Medical Hunter right?"

"Yup I am!" He smiled again.

"What brought you to York Shin City anyways?" I asked.

"I received a phone call from Kurapika. He said he needed my help for the auctions. Plus, he asked me to track you down." He said.

"I see. I'm glad you had an awesome time after the Hunter exams" I said, smiling towards him.

My smile turned into a frown.

I feel terrible that I caused a lot of trouble for my friends.

 _Especially towards Kurapika._

"Hey, you remember what I said before?" Leorio asked.

"Huh? What?" I asked confused.

"Back at the Hunter exam. I know you did a terrible thing in the past. Heck, I was surprised at first when Kurapika removed your glove." He started.

"Oh..." I said quietly.

Leorio continued talking.

"I wasn't mad Aoi." he said. "I know you were probably going through a lot. Plus, I'm pretty sure you're willing to repent for all those sins you've committed in your past."

Tears started forming in my eyes again.

"With that, you're still a part of the group to me Aoi." He finally said.

"Thank you Leorio." I said, tears steaming down my face again.

"Come on. No more crying. You're getting to mushy with me." He said, embarrassed.

"Haha. Sorry. I'm just really emotional after everything that happened this past week." I said, wiping tears off my face.

"What happened?" He asked.

I was quiet for a long minute.

"Two of my friends from the Troupe died." I said sadly.

"I'm sorry about that Aoi. Did they both die from Kurapika?" Leorio asked

"Yeah." I said quietly. "They did and now my boss is missing. I didn't even get to give him a proper goodbye."

"Are you mad at Kurapika?"

I looked at Leorio.

 _Me? Mad at Kurapika?_

Why should I be mad at him?

This is probably a fair share on both parties, we got what we deserved after killing his clan.

"No. I'm not mad at him. All I want to do is see him." I said.

Leorio looked at me and then made a small laugh.

"Same for him" He said. "After this whole fiasco was over, Kurapika mentioned that he can't wait to see you."

"Oh" I was blushing. "Where is he now?"

"Well..." Leorio started off. "He really tired himself out. Probably haven't slept for a couple of days. He's currently recovering from a fever and exhaustion."

"What?!" I shouted. "I-Is Kurapika okay!?"

"Relax. He's fine. Melody's taking care of him now." He said.

 _Melody._

She's the girl that's working with Kurapika.

"I see. I'm glad Kurapika is able to relax." I said with a smile.

"You think you're ready to go see him?" Leorio asked.

I was silent again.

 _Time to see Kurapika._

 _I've waited months to finally be with him. Officially be with him._

"Yeah. I am." I said.

I leaned to my right and picked up the jar of Scarlet Eyes.

"Woah. I didn't even notice you got that thing with you." Leorio said as he jumped up.

"Yeah. I grabbed this when I left home. I'm giving it back to Kurapika." I said as I looked into those beautiful eyes.

"He'll be happy to see you returning those to him." Leorio said. "Let's head back. I'm pretty sure Gon and Killua are waiting for you too."

"I'm looking forward to seeing the kids again, safe and sound." I said with a chuckle.

With that, I followed Leorio back to the same hotel where Chrollo was kidnapped.

* * *

"You guys were actually staying in this hotel?" I asked.

"Yup. That is where Kurapika's client was staying at." Leorio answered.

"I see."

Neon was his client. I wonder how she is doing ever since Chrollo took her special abilities.

"Welcome back to your new family." Leorio said as he smiled at the room door.

The hotel room number was 406. How ironic.

Leorio took out his key card and opened the door.

Just behind the door, I can see Killua and Gon wrestling for the remote.

"Come on Gon, it's my turn!" Killua shouted.

"No! I want to watch!" Gon shouted back.

"Oi! Killua! Gon!" Leorio screamed. "I'm back. Look who I brought!"

Both kids stopped fighting and looked up.

Their smiles widened at the sight of me.

"Aoi!" Gon shouted in excitement.

"Miss Aoi!" Killua shouted as well.

They dropped the remote and ran towards me.

"Hey there kiddos" I said as I patted their heads. "It's really awesome to finally seeing you two."

"We really missed you Aoi." Gon said, his smile still wide.

"I missed you guys too." I said.

"Are you still a member of the Spiders?" Killua asked.

"No" I said, shaking my head. "Kurapika had me released from the gang."

"Do you miss them?" Gon asked.

"I do. I'm gonna miss my family." I said sadly. "But, I'm going to explore more with my new family"

I grabbed the boys and pulled them into a tight hug.

"Miss Aoi! This is embarrassing!" Killua said as he tried to free from my grasp.

"Ahem." Leorio coughed to get my attention.

"Yes Leorio?"

I let go of the boys and turned to Leorio. Melody was standing next to him.

"Hello again Aoi." Melody greeted me with a warm smile.

"Hello Melody" I smiled back at her.

"Judging by the sound of your heart beat, you are very anxious to see Kurapika." She said.

 _She's not wrong._

"I guess I am" I said.

Her lips curled.

"Kurapika still has his fever. He's sleeping in the other room right now." Melody said.

She was pointing at a door down the hall.

"Is it okay for me to go in?" I asked

"Go. He'll be glad to see you first when he wakes up." Leorio said as he nudged my shoulder.

I looked ahead and slowly walked to the door.

 _Kurapika is right behind this door._

I tightly gripped onto the jar and slowly reached for the door knob.

 _Here goes nothing._ I thought to myself as I opened the door.

* * *

I popped my head through the opening of the door and looked inside.

I see Kurapika asleep on the bed.

I approached the bed and grabbed a nearby chair.

I set it right next to him and sat down. I even placed the jar of Scarlet eyes on the side.

His fever looks bad. I could see a lot of sweat coming from his forehead.

I grabbed a cloth on the nightstand and wiped it off.

"Hi Kurapika." I said softly as I reached for his hand.

His hand was warm.

 _I miss his touch._

"I'm right here Kurapika. I missed you." I said as I lowered my head.

Now is the time to wait.

Wait for Kurapika to wake up.

It wasn't long before I felt a response from him.

I felt Kurapika's hand gripping onto mine.

I slowly looked up.

Kurapika's eyes were open.

 _He's awake!_

He turned his head and looked at me.

"Hello Aoi."


	33. Memories

_Kurapika boarded onto the ship on Whale Island._

 _He stood in a corner and witnessed the entire scene of a young boy and an older gentleman making their way to the ship._

 _'How interesting' He thought to himself._

* * *

 _Inside the ship, he met a young girl around his age whom he instantly thought was attractive._

 _'This is no time to find love. The main objective is to avenge my fallen clan.' He lectured himself._

 _He learned that her name is Aoi._

 _There was something about Aoi that caught his interest but he couldn't figure out why._

* * *

 _After the first two phases of the Hunter's exam, Kurapika couldn't help but notice that he was having stronger feelings for Aoi._

 _Why is he having feelings for her?_

 _He's only known her a few short days._

 _'Why do I feel so strange around her?' Kurapika thought._

* * *

 _Inside Trick Tower, Aoi was the first one to fight._

 _Her fighting skills REALLY has Kurapika's attention._

 _The way she fought, it was very strange._

 _It fit one of the descriptions of a Phantom Troupe member. A member who can truly manipulate the use of instruments._

 _Kurapika knew that Aoi can use instruments as her weapon, but to see that he is THAT strong, it has got to be a coincidence._

 _'Even though she can do that, there is no way in hell Aoi is a member of the Spiders. It's not possible.' He thought._

* * *

" _Leave me alone" Kurapika said to everyone just as he defeated the Spider impostor._

 _He sat at the corner and stared at the ground._

 _"I'm sorry Kurapika. About your clan." Aoi said as she sat next to him._

 _Kurapika place his hand over Aoi's._

 _He wasn't sure why he did that, but doing so made his heart beat faster._

 _He looked at Aoi and saw that she had a sad look on her face._

 _'Why is she really sad? Does she feel pity for me?' Kurapika asked himself._

* * *

 _In the rest stop inside Trick Tower, Kurapika was apologizing to Aoi about the little accusation he had on his mind._

 _"Please don't apologize Kurapika...But what made you change your mind about me?" Aoi asked._

 _She looked like she really didn't want Kurapika to apologize to her._

 _"That's because I've grown an interest in you" Kurapika said with a smile._

 _It was true. Kurapika was starting to have feelings for this girl._

* * *

 _"Aoi!" Kurapika screamed as he reached his hand out for her._

 _They just reached to the bottom of Trick Tower but Aoi had lost balance and flew off the skateboard._

 _She was going to hit the wall._

 _The thought of Aoi getting hurt was unbearable to Kurapika._

 _Luckily, she was caught safely by Hisoka unfortunately._

 _Kurapika ran to Aoi to ensure her safety._

 _She reassured him that she was fine and even gave him one of her sweet smiles._

 _Kurapika placed his hands on Aoi's shoulders and looked into her eyes._

 _"I definitely want to get to know you more." He said._

 _"I see." She said with the saddest expression._

 _This confused Kurapika. Why is she so sad?_

 _"I'm just sorry about what happened to your clan." She apologized again._

 _She seems so genuine about her apology. It mostly felt like she REALLY meant it._

 _It was strange to Kurapika._

 _She sure is an interesting girl._

* * *

 _Day three at Zevil Island._

 _Kurapika and Hisoka are standing across each other from the field._

 _Kurapika took a fighting stance, ready for any movement from him._

 _"Don't worry. I'm not here to fight." Hisoka said with a chuckle._

 _"What do you want Hisoka?" Kurapika asked._

 _"I just want a chat." He said_

 _"About what?" Kurapika asked._

 _"About your cute friend." He replied with an evil grin._

 _"You leave Aoi alone." Kurapika said angrily._

 _He will not let anything or anyone harm Aoi._

 _"Oh but you should be the one to leave her alone." Hisoka said with a small laugh._

 _"What do you mean by that?" Kurapika asked, confused._

 _"Let's just say," Hisoka started and then paused. "That you should keep a close eye on her."_

 _Hisoka pointed at his eyes and then pointed at Kurapika._

 _Kurapika was confused. He didn't understand what Hisoka was talking about._

 _'Could Aoi be in more danger than I thought?' He asked himself._ _'Does Hisoka plan on harming Aoi?'_

 _"Like I said, leave Aoi alone." Kurapika repeated._

 _"This is just my warning before the real action begins" Hisoka said as he wave off and walked away._

 _Without looking, Kurapika walked the other direction and wondered on whether or not Aoi is actually in danger._

* * *

 _Day six at Zevil Island._

 _Kurapika was cautiously following his target._

 _He couldn't do anything because his target was with a partner._

 _Plus, it seems that they were following someone as well._

 _The ironic thing was, their target was Aoi._

 _They both managed to get a hold of Aoi's number plate and even tried to escape._

 _This gave Kurapika the opportunity to jump in and help._

 _He helped Aoi capture the two crooks and even grabbed his targets plate._

 _Kurapika learned that he himself was Aoi's target._

 _He couldn't help but to feel glad that Aoi was a very caring person._

 _It was one of the traits he likes about her._

 _He looked at Aoi's face and noticed that she had scratches on her cheek._

 _It was a good thing Leorio gave Kurapika some medical supplies just in case._

 _He cleaned off the small wound on Aoi's face._

 _He couldn't help but to notice how beautiful her face was._

 _Just looking at her was making him nervous._

 _Kurapika knows that he deeply cares for Aoi._

 _He leaned in close and kissed her forehead._

 _He doesn't know why he did that. He just felt like it._

 _'Am I really in love with her?' Kurapika questioned himself._

 _He held onto Aoi's hand as his heart beats rapidly._

 _It was this day that Kurapika realized that he is in love with Aoi._

 _He wants to be with her no matter what._

* * *

 _"It's over Kurapika. Right?" Leorio asked._

 _"Somewhat" Kurapika responded._

 _Chrollo was left alone on the dessert outside of York Shin City._

 _They all boarded back onto the airship and headed back to the hotel room._

 _Kurapika has finally accomplished his main priority._

 _It was to get Aoi out of the Spiders safely._

 _He released her from being a part of that group._

 _"I still haven't gotten my revenge." Kurapika said._

 _"Well, at least we will have Aoi back" Leorio added._

 _"Yeah" Kurapika said quietly._

 _Will she come back to him?_

 _He wants to finally declare his love to her._

 _The thing is, how is he going to approach her?_

 _It's been seven months since they've truly seen each other._

 _All of a sudden, Kurapika's vision started to blur._

 _He was feeling uneasy._

 _Fatigue finally hit him. How long has it been since he slept?_

 _"Oi, Kurapika. You okay?" Leorio said as he supported his friend._

 _"I feel tired." Kurapika said._

 _With that, Kurapika's vision went black and he passed out on the ground._

 _"Hey! Kurapika!" Leorio shouted._

* * *

Kurapika felt a warm hand touching his.

His eyes were too heavy to open.

All he could do was grip onto that hand.

It was a familiar touch.

It felt as if it was Aoi's hand.

Slowly, Kurapika opened his eyes and looked to his side.

There was Aoi, sitting there with her head down.

 _Aoi, she's here._ Kurapika said in his mind.

Still gripping onto her hand, he finally spoke.

"Hello Aoi."

* * *

 ***Author's Note***

 **Wishing all you awesome readers a Happy New Year!**

 **Just letting you know that the NEXT CHAPTER will be the FINAL CHAPTER to this story.**

 **This chapter here is just a little filler I thought about adding.**

 **Thank you all for being patient and see how this story ends.**

 **~RiN**


	34. Kurapika

"Hello Aoi." Kurapika spoke quietly.

We were gazing into each others eyes. Refusing to lose eye contact.

My smile widened. I could even feel my heart skipping beats. It was silent around the room. Not one of us made a single sound. Only a single thought ran through my mind: _Kurapika's awake._

"Hi Kurapika." I said.

He squeezed my hand at first but then let go. Kurapika sat up on the bed, rubbed his eyes and looked at me.

"You came back." He said with a light smile. It seemed like a smile of relief Kurapika gave, almost as if he's seriously happy to see me here.

"Yeah. I did. It was hard saying goodbye." I said, forcing a smile.

Kurapika studied my face. He probably noticed that I'm forcing this smile on my face.

"Did something happen?" Kurapika asked.

I couldn't answer his question right away. I thought about Paku and frowned. _She died for the sake of the group._

"Uh Huh." I said, nodding my head.

"Pakunoda died right?" Kurapika asked.

I looked at him, eyes wide and in shock. "H-How did you know?"

Kurapika showed me the chains that are attached to his hand.

"My nen. Remember when I implanted the judgement chain inside her? I can feel my chains react if they break a rule." Kurapika said.

"Oh. I see." I gave a brief pause before asking Kurapika a question. "Is that how Uvogin died?"

"Yes." Kurapika answered, without any hesitation.

"How did you feel when Uvo died?" I asked him. My heart skipping a beat, still morning for my dead friend.

He was quiet, as if he was thinking.

"It's hard to explain. It felt like I had partial of my revenge but it'll never bring my clan back." Kurapika said, lowering his head.

We were both silent for a long minute before Kurapika moved out of the bed and stood up. I gasped from his sudden movement and stood up as well.

"Y-You shouldn't get up! You just had a fever Kurapika!" I shouted, motioning him to get back to the bed.

He held his hand out, insisting that he was fine and then walked towards me. I could feel my face flush at every step he took to get close to me. The moment he stood right in front of me, he placed his hands on my shoulders. I froze in my spot and stood there in shock.

Kurapika gave me a warm smile, with his hands still on my shoulders, he asked me a question. "Are you mad at me Aoi?"

"Eh?" I was surprised to hear this from him. Leorio asked me that same question at the park. "N-No. I'm not mad at you Kurapika."

"Why is that?" Kurapika asked. Shocked that I said 'no'.

"B-Because, I-I can't blame you for Paku's or Uvo's death. This happened on your act of justice. There's no reason for me to be mad. I just feel sad that I lost two friends, but I know that we all can't live forever, we're meant to pay in the end for the deeds we've done. Plus, all I wanted to do these past months was to just see you." I quickly covered my mouth when I said the last sentence. I just let those words blurt out.

Suddenly, I felt shy and embarrassed. _What did I just do!?_

Kurapika's face softened and he cupped a hand on my cheek. I could feel my face getting hot in which I'm sure he feels the warmth as well. "I've waited seven months to finally see you again Aoi."

My entire face must've turned bright red. So many obstacles came in my path and now, I can finally be with Kurapika. But, before I let anything happen, I moved away from Kurapika's hand and walked next to the bedside. I picked up the jar of Scarlet Eyes and walked up to Kurapika. Judging from the look on his face, he must be really surprised to see the jar.

"T-That's..." Kurapika started to speak then trailed off.

I gave him a slight nod and held the jar in front of him. I could see his eyes changing color. He must be happy to see this jar.

"I was able to take these with me after we stole it from the auction. I wanted to return them to you the moment I saw these listed for the auction. I knew I had to get them and give it back to the right person. I'm extremely sorry for what I've done with your clan. It's unforgivable of me. I feel like, this is the least I can do, to compensate for my horrible deeds."

With the jar still in my hands, I could feel myself being overwhelmed by my emotions. I didn't notice that tears were streaming from my eyes after I spoke. I truly do feel bad for what I've done. "Are you mad at me Kurapika?"

Kurapika's eyes were still scarlet but then changed back to his normal ones. He softened his expression and placed his hands over mine. He then spoke to me with a soft voice, "I'm not mad at you Aoi. Instead, I forgive you for your actions."

My eyes widened in shock. _He forgives me?_

"R-Really? I wouldn't have forgiven myself..." I said quietly, lowering my head.

Kurapika picked the jar off from my hands and put them to the side. I just stood there, arms crossed with my hands grabbing onto opposite elbows. Kurapika looked back at me and cupped his hand on my cheek once again.

"Thank you for bringing these back to me Aoi. It means a lot to me. You do not know how happy I am to get these back. Now I can start a proper burial for my fallen clan."

I looked at him and stared into his eyes. It warmed my heart to hear this from him. It sort of lifts the heavy burden I had with me all these years. The bodies of those family members, the bodies of the two children that were killed by Paku. Just thinking about it as well as putting the image in my head made me tear up. I couldn't help it, I let them spill down my cheeks.

Kurapika gave me a confused look and wiped them away with his fingers. He then reached for my hands and held onto them.

"Aoi? Why are you crying?" He asked.

I couldn't respond to him right away because I was still choked up through my tears. All I could do was continue to stand there and cry. After a long minute, I finally managed to speak through hiccups of tears. "I-I'm just crying t-tears of j-joy. I-I'm overwhelmed at t-the fact that I-I've been f-forgiven..."

I paused and took deep breaths to calm myself. Then, I looked at Kurapika and continued speaking:

"Kurapika, you helped lift a heavy burden off my chest. I've had this feeling of regret and guilt ever since the Phantom Troupe and I massacred the Kuruta Clan. I remember attempting to save two children from their deaths. Unfortunately, Paku killed them right in front of me. It really troubled me that I wasn't able to do anything about it. I just stood there and witnessed their death..."

I paused and let some tears stream down my face.

"...That's why I left the group, a little while before the Hunter's Exam. That's why, I felt terrible when I found out where you're from and whenever I was around you. But now, I'm glad to hear those words from you."

Kurapika's hands were still holding onto mine and I squeezed them. I let a few more tears roll down my face.

"Aoi..." Kurapika said my name softly as he once again wiped the tears off my face. "I'm sorry for what I tried to do back there."

I looked at Kurapika in confusion. _Does he mean back when we complete the Exams? When he revealed the truth of who I really was? What did he tried to do?_

"You really don't remember?" Kurapika asked, frowning.

Then it hit me. A flash of memory popped in my mind. I remember seeing Kurapika holding out a knife. _He was gonna kill me at that time..._ My eyes widened when I finally remembered. I opened my mouth, ready to speak, but suddenly, Kurapika pulled me in for a hug. My face immediately flushed. The hug was extremely tight. I could feel his body shaking lightly.

 _Is Kurapika crying?..._

I wrapped my arms around his back and hugged him back. I could hear faint sobs from him. _Kurapika is crying..._

"I'm so sorry Aoi." Kurapika said softly. "I never wanted to harm you. I just wanted the truth from you at the time."

I was speechless. Words wouldn't form in my mouth. _Why is Kurapika crying?_ was all I could think of in my mind. Feeling sorry for the man I love, I started crying as well. _He doesn't need to apologize..._

I hugged him tighter and sniffled a bit. With my throat all choked up, the only thing I was able to say was, "Please don't cry..."

 _What else do I say!? What do I do!? This moment is too emotional for the two of us. Kurapika went through a lot in his life. I just so happen to be one of his obstacles in life as he is in mine as well. I made my decision to be with Kurapika. Should I confess my love for him now?..._

Shaking off the thoughts in my head, I let go off Kurapika. I looked at his face and he still had tears in his eyes, waiting to fall down his cheeks. I knew this is the time to tell him how I've been feeling ever since the Hunter's exam. _I just hope what Leorio said is right._

"Kurapika, there's something I want to tell you." I finally spoke. I took a deep breath and tried to speak again but my lips were blocked off by Kurapika's finger. His tears were gone and I could see a warm smile on his face.

"Hold on Aoi." He said, preventing me from speaking. He then removed his finger from my lips and caressed my face. "Let me speak first. I want to tell you something as well." I stayed silent and nodded my head, letting him talk first.

"Remember when were we at Trick Tower and I told you that I've grown an interest in you?" He asked. Still being silent, I nodded my head once again. "I meant it." He said as I felt my cheeks flush from his words. "When I first met you back at that ship from Whale Island, I found you to be very interesting. The more I got to know know, the more I was interested in you. It wasn't until we were at Zevil Island that I realized I wanted to be with you no matter what..."

My eyes widened in shock. _He wants to be with me no matter what?_ Kurapika ignored my shocked expression and continued speaking. "...What Hisoka told me during our final test did hurt me at first. Hell, I was even more upset to know that you are a member. When I saw Hisoka carried you away after the Hunter's exam, I thought I would never see you again. He told me to find you and so I did. Took me seven months to find you. I made you my number one priority Aoi."

I cocked my head slightly and looked at Kurapika. "W-Why?" I questioned him. My heart was beating rapidly the whole time. His next words were something I yearned to hear. The simple yet strongest words any person could imagine. Kurapika pursed his lips as he said his next spell binding sentence. "That's because I love you Aoi."

 _He said it. Kurapika said it first._ _He loves me. He actually does...Leorio wasn't kidding._ With my eyes still wide, tears formed in my eyes once again and I placed a hand to my mouth. I let out a small gasp as Kurapika gazed into my eyes. My eyes wouldn't leave contact with him. His smile was still warm and faint. "Y-You love me?" I questioned, unsure why I bothered to question it when I knew the truth for so long.

Kurapika couldn't help but to chuckle. He must be amused to see me react like this. It's sort of embarrassing. I didn't even realize that my face was really hot and flushed! "Leorio told me that you're in love with me too. Is that true?"

"Gah!" Was how I reacted. It feels like my heart is going to jump out of my chest and run away! It's beating at an increase amount of speed in which I'm surprised I'm not even having a heart attack yet!

"Do you love me Aoi?" Kurapika asked again. I shifted my gaze around the room, avoiding eye contact with Kurapika. My body froze in place as I was too surprised to be able to do anything. The only thing I could think of is, _I'm going to kill Leorio!_

With a big gulp and a deep sigh, I finally replied to Kurapika's question. "Y-Yes. I love you too Kurapika..." I spoke quietly. I slowly met Kurapika's eyes, making eye contact with him again. "I-I love the fact that you were really kind to me...even before you found out. I-I'm sorry for all the times that I tried to avoid you during the Hunter's Exam. At the time, I wasn't sure how to react and now, all I want is to just be with you." I forced a small smile on my face.

 _There it is. I said it. What now?_

Silence.

The room was silent for a bit. Neither of us left each others gaze. With my heart still pounding and my hands shaking a bit from nervousness, I broke the silence and spoke. "E-Excuse me...I have a certain friend to kill..." I turned around, intending to leave the room and find Leorio but I was stopped by a strong grip on my arm. I froze in my spot, eyes widened and turned my head. "K-Kurapika?" I called out to him. He didn't say anything. His facial expression was normal.

Then, with his hand still gripped on my arm, he spun me around and wrapped one arm around my waist. I felt my face flushing badly as I let out a surprised gasp. "K-Kurapika!? What are you-!" My question was interrupted with a pair of soft lips meeting mine.

 _Kurapika is kissing me!?_

My eyes widened even more and I froze from his actions but soon, I accepted the kiss and slowly closed my eyes. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back. His lips were extremely soft and the kiss was really sweet. Kurapika placed both hands on my waist and pulled me in closer, deepening the kiss and closing any gap between the two of us.

We just kept kissing for another long minute before parting ways to catch our breaths. I took a step back and placed my hands to my face, hiding the shade of red and embarrassment. My eyes were frantically darting all over the floor, trying to take in everything that just happened. Just then, I heard a slight chuckle coming from Kurapika. I looked back at him and he was smiling. "You're quite a good kisser Aoi." He said teasingly.

My face flushed even more as turned around in a panic. _We just kissed! We really kissed!_ "I-I...I-I...W-We..." Words kept sputtering out of my mouth but I wasn't able to speak properly. I was too shocked and surprised that this really happened. I could hear Kurapika's footsteps walking closer to me as he placed his hand on my shoulder and slowly spun me around once again. My eyes were locked with his and he smiled again. "No need to feel embarrassed Aoi. I'm happy that we can finally be together."

My rapid heartbeats finally slowed down and I no longer freaked out. A smile grew on my face as I looked at him happily. I nodded my head and said, "Me too."

With that, Kurapika grabbed my hands and locked our fingers. "Will you do me the honor of staying by my side at all time? I plan on gathering all the Kuruta eyes that were sold in the black market. I want to prepare a proper burial for my fallen clan. You returning these eyes was a good start for my next journey. Will you come with me Aoi?"

I looked at Kurapika and nodded my head slowly. "I made my decision to be with you right? So I'll be by your side no matter what." I said, giving him a reassuring smile.

Kurapika leaned in and lightly pecked my forward. "Once our journey is over, we can start a new life. We can start a family and repopulate the Kuruta clan." He gave out a teasing smile.

I felt my face flush and buried my face in his chest to hide the embarrassment. I could hear him let out another light laugh. "Don't be embarrassed." He said as he cupped a hand on my cheek and lifted my head to meet his eyes. "I'm not embarrassed, I'm glad about the two of us." He flashed a grin towards me.

 _The thought of bearing Kurapika's children was the reason why I'm embarrassed..._

Giving out another laugh, Kurapika leaned in and rest his forehead against mind. His lips were inches away from mine as I stared at his soft lips. His blonde locks were brushing past my blue bangs and he intertwined our fingers. I couldn't help but to smile. I felt really happy.

"Let's go to our friends. I'm sure they're curious to know what's going on." Kurapika said as he pecked my cheek and started walking away. I followed after him as Kurapika opened the door.

There, Gon and Killua slipped from the opening and fell on top of each other. "Gah!" Were the only things heard from the two. Leorio and Melody were standing behind the two boys with a grin on their faces.

"It's about time." Leorio said as he winked at me.

I glared at Leorio as I walked up to him and bonked his head. "You idiot!" I yelled. Leorio held his head and winced in pain. "A-Aoi!? What was that for!?" He yelled at me. I crossed my arms and glared at him once again. "For telling Kurapika back at the Hunter's exam!" Leorio looked at me in confusion but then realized. He suddenly panicked and ran off as I stood there and laughed.

"Your heartbeats are calm and relaxing. It's the best thing I've heard in this city." Melody said as she smiled sweetly. I couldn't help but to smile back at her. "Thank you" I said to her.

As for Gon and Killua, they sat at the ground and gave me their cheesy smiles. "You two were eavesdropping huh?" I questioned them. I placed my hands on my hips as I stared at the two menacingly.

"W-We didn't mean to Miss Aoi." Killua said as he gave out a nervous laugh and scratched the back of his head.

"I-It was Leorio's idea!" Gon added, trying to defend themselves. "He suggest we listen in to see what was going on!"

"Oh really?" I said sarcastically as I looked ahead to see Leorio hiding behind the edge of a corridor. I glared towards him but let out a heavy sigh.

Kurapika wrapped his arm around my waist and smiled towards everyone. "Thank you all for everything. Aoi has officially came back to us."

I heard the boys cheer while Melody clapped. I couldn't help but to smile as well. _I feel so happy to be with my friends._

* * *

Leorio checked out of the hotel as we all made our way outside and huddled around the entrance. Last night, we discussed about our plans now that our adventures in York Shin City was over.

Leorio decided to go back home and continue his medical studies. Gon wanted to continue his search for his Father while Killua agreed to tag a long. Melody mentioned that she was going to continue her search for the Sonata of Darkness as well. Kurapika told everyone that the two of us would start our journey for the Scarlet eyes.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye for now. We're definitely going to meet again soon." Leorio said as he gave a thumbs up. "Kurapika, you take care of Aoi. I wish the two of you luck!"

He hi-fived Melody, Gon and Killua while he shook Kurapika's hand. Leorio then stood in front of me as I teared up. _I was going to miss Leorio._ "Hey kiddo. Don't miss this handsome guy too much." He said with a wink. I sniffled and wiped off a tear away as I giggled from his stupidity. "You're such an idiot Leorio." With that, the two of us embraced in a hug. Leorio waved his goodbye as he stepped away and walked off.

Then, it was Gon and Killua's turn. "We're heading off as well." Gon said as he flashed a smile. He waved his arm in the air as he started walking backwards.

"W-Wait for me Gon!" Killua called out to him as he stood in front of me and bowed. "Miss Aoi, we will see you soon! Have fun on your journey!" He ran and caught up with Gon as they walked off, opposite from Leorio.

"I'm heading back to the Auction. It's not over so maybe I will have my chance to find the musical sheet there." Melody said as she smiled towards the two of us.

"Thank you for your kind service." Kurapika said, giving Melody his warm smile.

"It was no problem. You're a good friend. I'm willing to do anything to help you." She smiled once again. "Especially if it was to search for Aoi."

I couldn't help but to blush. Melody was such a kind woman. I have high respect for her. "Thank you for taking care of Kurapika." I said as I bowed towards her. She returned the bow. "Now that my deed has been down, I shall take my leave."

"Goodbye Melody." Kurapika said kindly.

Melody smiled and walked away.

Now, it was just the two of us. I looked at Kurapika and he stared back. "Ready Aoi?" He asked as he held his hand out.

"Yeah." I said as I placed my hand on top of his.

Kurapika held the jar in one arm while his other hand wrapped around my fingers. We started walking off, making our way towards his home at Lukso Province.

* * *

Lukso Province was absolutely beautiful. I never had the chance to observe and look at the beauty of the village since I was focused on our main objective long ago. The village was pretty empty since Kurapika was the sole survivor.

Kurapika took the time to set up a burial site in the village. We both built a chapel where candles were lit and flowers were placed on benches for his fallen clan. Kurapika picked up the jar and placed it on the podium. He then put his hands together and closed his eyes to pray. "I promise to retrieve all the eyes that we stolen. I have brought Aoi with me as my partner. I hope you and our ancestors would approve of her." I was inexperienced in prayers so all I did was follow along with Kurapika.

"I-I'm praying to you all for forgiveness. My sin I have done to you all were unforgivable but I do wish to repent. I wish to stay alongside Kurapika and aide him in obtaining the stolen eyes. As a newly Treasure Hunter, I will do my absolute best to ensure that you can all rest in peace." I said my prayer as I bowed in front of the shrine.

When we were done, we left the chapel and resided at Kurapika's home. We packed our belongings, preparing for our journey. As soon as we were ready, Kurapika and I stepped out and exit the village.

"Aoi." Kurapika called out to me. I stopped moving and turned to him. "Hm?"

He walked up towards me and wrapped his arm around my waist. Even though we're officially together, I still can't help but to blush and feel my heart beating fast.

"Ready for our new journey?" He asked as he caressed my cheek with his other hand.

I smiled and nodded my head. "Of course." I said as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

Kurapika smiled back and leaned in. His lips met with mine as we shared another sweet kiss. Feeling his soft lips will always make me want to jump in joy. Kissing Kurapika always felt like I was in heaven. I couldn't have been happier to be with Kurapika.

"Let's go then." Kurapika held out his hand. I grabbed it as we walked off hand in hand.

 _My life as a Phantom Spider has ended. Now, I'm starting a new life with Kurapika until the end._

 _END_

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 ***Author's Note***

 **Hey there readers!**

 **My deepest apologies that the FINAL chapter has taken so long to upload. I was on writers block for this story and writing the last chapter was giving me a hard time! I went through many attempts to write the perfect ending and this is what I came up with. I'm sorry if some of you are disappointed with this but I am content with what I wrote.**

 **I want to thank each and every one of you for being patient and reading from start to end! Your positive reviews and constructive criticism has helped me worked harder!**

 **I hope you all truly had a good read. If you are all wondering, I do not plan on making a sequel. Aoi's story ends here.**

 **I am currently writing other stories so feel free to check them out :)**

 **Once again, thank you all for everything! I hope to hear from you all again!**

 **~RiN**

 ***Remember, I DO NOT own anything from HunterxHunter. The only thing I own is my OC, Aoi.***


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